Shadow Wars
by Damien360
Summary: AU. A dark force is creeping over the Magic Realm. Setsuna, a swordsman shunned by humans and demons alike, fights to survive not only the war, but also the abuse on her emotional and mental barriers due to her heritage.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

Setsuna frowned as her eyes met the pale blue sky. A gentle breeze blew over the land, ruffling the leaves in the trees. The sun peeked over the clouds, illuminating the land with its warmth and light. The raven haired swordsman let her dark eyes traced the horizon before turning on her heels. With quick powerful strides she reached her bed, where her armor laid neatly folded, ready for the day's training. Setsuna changed into a dark blue shirt, the right sleeve reaching her wrist while the left one fell slightly short of her elbow. The fabric falling gently over her bound chest and skin. She tighten her belt, securing the silver buckle with the school's logo on it. The shoulder guard came next, sitting atop her left shoulder, the strap crossing her torso to end at a buckle on the side on her belt, securing it. Her deft finger quickly grasped the worn leather strap of the guard and secured it tight around her upper arm, ensuring that it did not fall. Next came her leather braces. Slipping them over her wrist, Setsuna rotated her wrists, making sure her mobility wasn't restricted before she pulled on her white fingerless gloves. Pulling her boots from under the bed, she laced them up quickly, nimble fingers twisting and turning the laces into a tight ribbon knot.

Grabbing her trusted sword, Yuunagi, Setsuna reached for her doorknob, ready to leave. She stopped short as a few strands on dark hair strayed into her vision. Her hands reached up to her cranium, eyes narrowing as she realized the missing accessory. Turning, she spotted the dark hair tie sitting on her bedside table. Setsuna tied her hair neatly into her trademark side ponytail, leaving her short fringe teasing the tips on her eyebrows. Satsified, the young girl strode out of the room, ready for the day.

She made her way swiftly to the training ground, her eyes widening in surprise as she realized she wasn't the only early one.

"Yo Setsuna!" An overly-energetic voice greeted her.

Mismatched eyes made contact with hers as the owner grinned brightly.

"Morning. Asuna" the swordman quietly and politely greeted her classmate "I didn't expect you to be so early."

"Mahhhhh" Asuna's grin widened, her eyes twinkling "I just thought I'd get some training in, you know, before class begins"

Setsuna didn't reply, leaning Yuunagi against the wall as she started warming up. Grabbing a wooden practice sword, she twirled it around, adjusting to its weight. She swung the sword a few times, nodding as she felt comfortable with the weapon.

"Wanna spar?" Asuna tapped her own wooden sword against her shoulder

A small nod from the shorter girl was all Asuna needed. Lunging forward, her weapon clashed against Setsuna's, who had skillfully parried her attack. Pushing Asuna backwards, Setsuna crouched into a low defensive stance and waited.

"Awwww come on!" Asuna whined "Its no fun if you're always the one defending."

Setsuna kept silent, but moved into a more offensive stance, watching as a smile spread across her partner's face. "Now we're talking! WOOO"

The two girls clashed swords once more, both feeling the adrenaline pumping through their veins. Setsuna dodged as Asuna thrust her sword forward, almost striking her in the face. Her own sword sliced through the air, aiming straight for Asuna's ribs, but was blocked by the hard metal plate on Asuna's wrist guards. The orange-haired girl pushed forward quickly, getting up close to Setsuna, too close for a counter. Bringing her arms upwards, Asuna would have scored a hit on Setsuna's chin with her hilt had the latter not thrown her head back in time.

"I got you!" Asuna's eyes glinted as she brought her hand down once more, the tip aiming at Setsuna's head. Still unable to right herself due to the previous attack, Setsuna raised her foot and kicked forward, her boot slamming against the other girl's ribs. It wasn't a hard kick, just enough to send Asuna flying backwards, her attack unfinished.

"Itte!" Asuna complained "I'm not wearing a chestguard damnit!"

Setsuna hung her head quietly, her sword at her side. A slender hand landed on her shoulder, and she looked up to face her smiling partner.

"That was a good spar Setsuna!" Asuna laughed "Always a step ahead of me, aren't you!"

"No.. that's not..." Setsuna started, but was interrupted by the chime of a clock.

"Oh crap. Class is starting soon!" Asuna quickly grabbed her belongings from the side of the arena "Come on!"

Setsuna had barely enough time to grab Yuunagi before Asuna dragged her off, weaving through and startling the other students. They burst into the classroom, earning them several stares from their fellow classmates before they resumed their own conversations. Setsuna quietly took her seat at the back of the class as Asuna began to talk animatedly with her friends.

"Alright everyone! Settle down!" A young voice pierced through the noise

Everyone scrambled back to their seats as their teacher entered the class. Negi Springfield. Setsuna repeated his name in her head. He was only 10-years old, but he was an outstanding wizard. Being the son of the Thousand Master, it was no surprise that Negi qualified to teach in Mahora Academy at the tender age of 10.

"Today, lets start with combat tactics" Negi spoke, earning a groan from the class

"Can't we spar today!" Asuna shouted

"Asuna-san!" Negi frowned "We've been sparring for the past few days! I think we should take a break from it."

Asuna grumbled, but said nothing more. As Negi began to talk, Setsuna stared idly out the window, her eyes falling on the school grounds. Mahora Academy. The school insignia stared back at her from the school gate, the chromed logo glinting in the sun. Mahora Academy was a school that trained the students for war. Situated in the Magic realm, Mahora Academy was meant to prepare the young students for the harshness of the Magic Realm, where rouge wizards and monsters roamed. Things changed when a dark force began to accumulate at the edge of the Magical Realm half a century ago. It started small, but soon grew into a major threat as shadow demons began to emerge from the areas swallowed by the darkness. The magic council banded together and declared war on the rampaging beast, leading into a long drawn out war.

The resistance slowed the advancement of the monsters, but they were still advancing. More troops succumbed everyday, causing self-defense schools like Mahora to convert to a military training school, preparing all skilled students for the war effort. Despite the raging war, the academy was rather relaxed, far from the front lines. Everyone at the academy, as relaxed as they seemed, knew of the impending doom and worked hard at their respective specialties, ready to aid the war effort after graduation or when the time calls for it.

"...na-san... Setsuna-san!" Negi's voice shook her from her thoughts.

She stared at the young teacher, realizing the gaze of the whole class was on her, a small blush of embarrassment crept across her face. "Hai...?"

Negi gave a small smile at the red-faced girl and repeated himself "I was just saying, there will be a new student coming in next week and I want you to take care of her. Show her around, make sure she feels comfortable here in Mahora."

"M..Me?" Setsuna whispered, nervous.

"Hai!" Negi smiled "I'm sure you'd do a good job!"

"B...But.." Setsuna protested, but Negi had already resumed his lesson

* * *

Later, after school, Setsuna sat upon the roof of the school, staring into the distance.

'Why me?' Setsuna thought.

"Why you?" a shrill voice came from behind, startling the dark-haired girl

Setsuna got up swiftly and found herself face to face with three girls. Unlike Setsuna, they were dressed in robes, designating them as mages. The dark-haired girl frowned. She knew these three, and she couldn't never understand what grudge they held against her. Always picking on her just because she was different from the rest of them. They turned almost the entire school body against her, with the exception of some of the teachers and her own class.

"What do you want?" Setsuna glared at them

"Oh, you of all people should know, you crippled half breed." the middle girl sneered, obviously the leader of the trio

"Care to explain? Saito." Setsuna spat, not in the mood to deal with the three.

"The new transfer student. Why were you assigned to her? Why was she even assigned to your class anyway?" the girl called Saito growled

"Huh?" Setsuna was thoroughly confused

"Don't play dumb. Everyone knows the new transfer student is the dean's grand-daughter. An extremely powerful mage assigned to your pathetic excuse of a class."The girl on the left shouted

"The dean's grand-daughter? Kono-chan?" Setsuna whispered to herself

"Enough, Miki" Saito cut the other girl off.

Turning back to Setsuna "What strings did you pull half-breed? Who did you suck up to? I find it hard to believe the dean would assign you to his grand-daughter, since ur one of _them__"_

"I'm not one of them!" Setsuna felt her blood boiling "And i didn't do anything"

"Sure, you are" came the devious sneer "You're a filthy half-breed that got picked up on the streets out of pity. There is no way you could have made it as far without sucking up to someone."

"Whatever" Setsuna snarled, tired of playing

She pushed past the three, neither one of them had to strength to stop her.

"That's right! Flee you coward" Setsuna heard them calling after her. Clenching her fist, Setsuna swallowed her anger and left as quickly as she could, trying to ignore the students avoiding her or the muted whispers behind her back. Without realizing it, She found herself standing in front of the dean's door, hesitating. She frowned at herself, before turning away from the heavy doors.

"Setsuna-kun." a deep voice called out to her

In shock, Setsuna froze. Slowly turning, she bowed low "Ko..Ko...Konoemon-sama"

"You came at a good time" the old man smiled "I was just about to look for you."

"M..Me?" Setsuna repeated "Is.. Is this about..."

"I see Negi-kun told you already" Konoemon grinned, gesturing for the girl to follow him into his office. "Yes. Konoka is coming here next week."

"Why?" Setsuna blurted out "Wasn't she honing her powers in a highly-specialized school?"

"Setsuna-kun." Konoemon sighed, suddenly looking very tired and weary. "We received news that the school has been evacuated by the Magic Council."

"Evacuated?" Setsuna repeated once more "Has the enemy advanced that far?!"

"Not yet, but they are closing in." Konoemon replied "The students have been split to attend other schools, so naturally i got Konoka in here."

"But.." Setsuna whispered, looking down "I..I am.."

"You saved her life once. I could not think of a more suited person to protect her." Konoemon rested a bony hand on Setsuna's shoulder

"S..She... Someone of Ojou-sama's caliber shouldn't be seen with me" Setsuna murmured before running out the door, leaving Konoemon staring at an open door.

"You haven't changed at all, Setsuna-kun" sighed the weary dean

* * *

A young girl brushed chocolate brown bangs away from her eyes, hands gripping her suitcase securely. She was quickly ushered into a magic shuttle together with some other students. Her chocolate orbs met the darkening sky, sending a foreboding chill down a spine. Troops from the Magic Council surrounded the area, directing students onto the shuttles.

She could sense the impending darkness as it crept upon the school that had become her home for many years. Settling into her seat, she sighed softly, gripping the soft armrest on the chair as the shuttle took off. As far as she knew, she was the only one going to Mahora. The rest of her friends had been sent to other schools. It wasn't much of a surprise, her grandfather was the dean of Mahora. It made sense that he would want her to be close to him.

Closing her eyes, she fell into slumber, knowing that the journey would be long and tedious.

* * *

**My very first Negima fic! Been wanting to write one for a long time.**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

Konoka was jolted awake by a blaring siren, the entire shuttle flashing red. She gasped in shock as the shuttle veered sharply to the right before veering to the left. She knew that sinking feeling in her gut. The shuttle was going down. The crew rushed around, struggling to keep the magic vessel in the air.

'This can't be happening' Konoka closed her eyes tightly, whimpering slightly

It was only a couple of hours ago that they had dropped off the last batch of students, leaving her as the only student on the shuttle. It was nearing a week since they boarded the shuttles. She was glad when they told her that they would be reaching Mahora soon. Konoka wanted to get out of the metal ship, feel the breeze in her hair and the grass under her feet.

A shrill scream filled her ears as the shuttle began to spiral downwards, plummeting towards the ground. Konoka realized that she was the one screaming, her breath catching in her throat as the shuttle jerked upwards temporarily. The downward spiral sent several of the crew members bouncing about the ship, and some had received nasty gashes from being tossed about violently. Throwing off her seat belt, Konoka rushed over to the nearest crew member. A familiar soothing glow erupted from her hands as she gently healed the cuts on the bruised body. Stammering a few words of thanks, he ran off to help the rest of the crew.

Konoka began to focus on healing as many as she could, and prayed from her heart that the shuttle would land safely. She had no idea how the the shuttle came to be in its predicament, but judging from the frantic yells, she figured it was probably an attack from the enemy. How they managed to get this far in was beyond her.

"GET DOWN!" a hoarse voice thundered through the ship's intercom "BRACE YOURSELVES!"

Konoka barely had time to react before a shockwave knocked her to the ground. She felt her vision leaving her, dark spots taunting her semi-conscious mind

"Jii-chan... Sec-chan.."

* * *

Setsuna's feet brought her through the halls of the schools swiftly. Bursting out of the school, she dashed quickly towards the school gate, only to be stopped by Konoemon.

"Setsuna-kun"

"Don't stop me!" Setsuna raised her voice slightly "Ojou-sama is out there!"

"We've already sent in a rescue squad." Konoemon calmly replied, hiding his own worries "They'll be back soon."

"No..No..No!" Setsuna shook her head furiously "You don't understand. They're still out there! Those demons! Ojou-sama is in danger."

"There are no demons this far in Setsuna-kun" Konoemon reasoned "Now calm down and -"

"I can sense them." Setsuna spoke, her voice shaky. "I can feel them. They're close by."

The old dean was taken aback. Setsuna hated to speak of her powers, especially the skills received due to her demon heritage. Staring into Setsuna's eyes, he knew she was telling the truth. Konoemon trusted Setsuna's senses, but for her to sense demons this far from the front lines was alarming.

"Lies!" the soldier behind him growled, pointing his rifle at her "You just want to kill Konoka-sama don't you, demon!"

"Enough!" Konoemon roared before Setsuna could reply. "Go. Setsuna-kun. I'll send a squad after you soon."

Setsuna leaped away quickly in the direction of the rising smoke. Despair and hope struggling for control in her mind. Once news of the shuttle crash reached her ears, she wasted no time in confronting Konoemon. Upon confirming that Konoka was aboard that shuttle, she acted rashly, bolting out of the room to rescue her. Deep down, she thanked Konoemon for believing in her. Not one person would believe her when she told them of the demon presence.

The smell of gasoline hit her nose like a train. Setsuna stopped, gagging from the intense smell of fuel and smoke in the air. Before her was the flaming wreck of the shuttle. The force of the impact had crushed the front of the shuttle, flattening it. The flames that licked the wreck warped the metal, curling and twisting the heated metals pieces. Setsuna wrinkled as nose as the smell of charred bodies hung in the air. Bodies, burnt black beyond recognition laid scattered around the crash site. Charred pieces of clothes and equipment told Setsuna that the first rescue squad didn't survive. Just as she was about to despair, a shrill cry reach her ears. Unsheathing Yuunagi, she dashed into the burning wreck, nimbly making her way through the metal debris.

"S..Stay back!" another cry was heard

Setsuna's eyes met several black shapes looming in a circle.

"Shinmeiryuu! Zanken Ougi!" Setsuna cried out swinging her sword in an arc.

She took out three of the demons as once, but several more remained. They turned their attention to the swordsman and lunged forward, claws outstretched. Setsuna leaped into the air and took off the head of a demon. She ducked as black claws swung her way, using her sword to take them out from below.

"Look out!"

The warning came too late, Setsuna turned to see a shadow behind her. It swung its claws down, missing the girl, but knocking Yuunagi from her grasp. Setsuna gasped in shock as the demon's claws wrapped around her right arm, pulling her off the ground. A sharp hissing sound startled the young soldier as her hand began to sizzle where the creature had its grip on her.

"Arghhh" Setsuna cried out, her back arching from the pain.

"Let her go!" a bright purple bolt caught the creature in the head, angering it.

Roaring, the demon turned in the direction of the bolt, its reddish eyes glowing as it raged. Taking advantage of the creature's distraction, Setsuna forced herself to cope with the pain, reaching forward with her left hand, electricity dancing across her finger tips.

"SHOCK!"

A burst of lightning shot forward, illuminating the dark cavern created by the wreck. A high-pitch screech resounded as the creature shrieked in pain, dropping Setsuna to the ground. The crackle of the electricity around it soon died out, followed by the disintegration of the demon. Setsuna grasped her right arm in pain. The creature had burned through her leather bracers and through her shirt, seeping into the metal underneath. Gritting her teeth, Setsuna cut off the connection to the metal appendage that was her right arm, letting it hang uselessly at her side. At least she didn't feel the pain anymore.

"Sec-chan..." a timid voice called out to her

Setsuna's dark eyes met with frightened chocolate orbs "Ojou-sama"

Konoka was pinned under a metal beam that had landed across her legs. Her back was leaning against a slanted metal slab, a section of the destroyed shuttle. Her dress was slightly torn and bloodied, but Setsuna could see no major injuries.

"Are you hurt?" Setsuna asked, kneeling down next to her.

Konoka shook her head "I..I just can't move."

"Hold on" Setsuna stood up "I'll get this off you"

Setsuna grasped onto the beam pinning her charge to the ground and tried to move it, but it refused to budge. Setsuna didn't have the strength to lift it, especially after losing the use of her right arm. She contemplated using Yuunagi to slice apart the beam, but without the use of her right arm, Setsuna didn't have the confidence, not when Konoka was at risk of getting hurt.

She decided to sit down next to the chocolate haired mage and wait for the rescue squad to arrive. She leaned back against the metal slab, finding it surprisingly cool despite the flames in the wreck.

"Sec-chan" Konoka spoke quietly "Let me see your arm"

"Ahh wait!" Setsuna cried out as Konoka grabbed her right wrist.

Konoka dropped the appendage in shock, staring at her hand, trying to understand the sensation she had felt. Setsuna turned away, clutching the useless appendage to her chest, fingers careful not to cut themselves on the sharp edges created when the metal warped under the creatures touch

"I..I'm sorry" Setsuna whispered, not even sure why she was apologising

"Your arm.." Konoka whispered, still in a daze

Setsuna whimpered slightly as Konoka reached out once more, warm fingers touching the cool metal. She grabbed the metal wrist firmly, and gently pulled it over to her. Setsuna resisted, but eventually gave in, still shaking under Konoka's scrutinizing gaze. Konoka's eyes travelled from the exposed metal fingers poking out of her gloves to the burnt and warped forearm section, holes beginning to appear in the distorted metal. The ruined sleeve revealed the metal appendage was more than just her forearm. Her upper arm was also metal. One might think she was wearing a metal gauntlet, had it not been for the holes appearing in the metal, revealing an empty shell.

"This is.. a magic gauntlet" Konoka spoke, eyes tracing the intricate details carved upon the metal. "These are high level spells, carved into it. When did you get this?"

"10 years ago" Setsuna replied softly, afraid of her charge's reaction.

"10 years?..." Konoka repeated "This is from that time.."

"Hai..." Setsuna squeezed her eyes shut, prepared for the words of disgust she was accustomed to.

She certainly wasn't expecting the Konoe heir to wrap her arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug the best she could from her position

"Ojou-sama.."

"Gomen, Sec-chan!" Konoka wailed "Its my fault! If you didn't protect me back then..."

"Losing an arm was much better than losing you" Setsuna whispered

When Konoka gazed at her, Setsuna quickly became flustered, turning red "I mean, it was my job to protect you."

Konoka blushed and opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sounds of a landing shuttle. Setsuna pulled away from Konoka and made her way to the exit just in time to see the doors open. Medics clad in white and red suits rushed out the shuttle door, equipment in hand. The captain of the squad approached Setsuna and gave her a curt nod. Silently, Setsuna gestured in the direction of Konoka behind her. Without delay, the team set to work on cutting the beam apart. It didn't take long before the heavy weight was lifted off Konoka, freeing her.

"Miss, we'll send you back to the school immediately. The medics are awaiting your arrival." The captain spoke as he lifted Konoka onto a stretcher.

Konoka reached out to grab his arm before he left. "I think there are more survivors. I heard noises at the back of the shuttle."

Nodding, the captain directed a few of his men to search the back of the shuttle. Setsuna sat outside the shuttle as the men began to pull more survivors out of the wreckage. A man clad in blue exited the shuttle, tool box in hand. He looked around for a moment, his eyes settling on Setsuna as he began to make his way towards her.

"Setsuna-chan!" He waved energetically

"Ah... Romeo-san" Setsuna greeted the blue technician with a small bow "What are you- Hey!"

The man named Romeo grabbed Setsuna's right arm "Have you cut the connection?"

"Hai" Setsuna replied as Romeo pulled her sleeve back and began to dislodge the metal appendage.

He loosened a few screws, disconnected a few tubes and the arm separated from Setsuna's shoulder with a loud hiss. Now that the arm was removed, Romeo could examine the damage better. He frowned deeply as he saw the hole created by the melted metal. Several of the magic circuits had been completely melted through and couldn't be repaired.

"Aw... come on" Romeo groaned "What in the world could burn through my magic circuits? It was a reinforced circuit too!"

"The shadow demons." Setsuna replied

"Eh?" Romeo stared at her in disbelief "You've got to be kidding me. This far in?"

Setsuna nodded "One of them grabbed me and his hand started to melt the circuit."

"You need to inform the dean." Romeo spoke, his voice low

"Will he believe me?" Setsuna whispered back

"He'll have to!" Romeo stood up "Its the only explanation there is! Nothing else can burn through my reinforced magic circuits!"

Setsuna sighed. She should have known Romeo was only concerned about his magic circuits. Shaking her head, she stood up.

"Shouldn't you be boarding the shuttle soon?" Setsuna asked "They're almost done."

"Oh yes." Romeo took a glance at the shuttle "Let's go, Setsuna-chan"

The brown-haired male ran several steps before he realized the teen wasn't following him. He caught sight of a few glares being thrown his way, and turned to face Setsuna. She hadn't moved from her position, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her eyes were filled with uncertainty, and Romeo knew why. He never understood why everyone disliked Setsuna just because she was half-demon. The dark-haired girl was one of the few that treated him nicely, despite the fact that he was a technician. Since almost everyone used magic in the Magic Realm, magic circuit technicians like himself were few and heavily under-appreciated. Sure, he had been apprehensive at first, seeing as they were at war with the demons, but soon found himself drawn to her, largely because he had been placed in charge of maintaining and upgrading the girl's magic gauntlet.

"Setsuna-chan" Romeo gazed at her, his expression soft

"It's alright, Romeo-san. I'll make my way back myself" Setsuna gave him a small smile

"T..Then I'll stay with you!" Romeo blurted out angrily "I don't mind"

Setsuna shook her head "You need to go back and fix my gauntlet. Its not an easy fix. How long will it take?"

"About a week" Romeo mumbled

"Then you better get started" Setsuna turned away quietly "I expect to see it fixed as soon as possible."

"Hai!" Romeo replied, before being interrupted by the shuttle.

Taking one last look at Setsuna's back, he ran towards the shuttle, knowing he can't change her mind. Dark hair flew across Setsuna's vision a rush of airblew from behind her. The shuttle took off with a huge gust of air, the atmosphere only settling down when it was a good mile away. Setsuna trudged over the wreckage, heading back to the school. Her foot struck something hard, causing her toes to become numb. The object she kicked spun a couple of feet in front of her, tumbling over the uneven ground.

Setsuna muttered under her breath as she wriggled her toes, thanking the heavens that her boots absorbed most of the impact, leaving her with only a bunch of sore toes. A closer inspection of the object revealed that it was a suitcase. It was small and red, possibly belonging to a single passenger. Bending down, Setsuna looked at the tag that was attached to the handle.

'Konoe Konoka. Mahora Academy"

Sighing, Setsuna picked up the suitcase, stunned by its light weight. She tipped over slightly, slightly off balance due to her missing limb and the miscalculated weight of the suitcase. Righting herself, Setsuna closed her fingers around the leather handle of the small suitcase once more and resumed her walk back to Mahora. Luckily the shuttle did not crash too far from the academy, seeing as she had made it onto the site on foot in the beginning. The sun was beginning to set when she began her journey and Setsuna guessed that she would reach the academy just before the sky turned dark. Walking as fast as she could without swaying off balance, Setsuna hurried back to the Academy, hoping to see how Konoka was doing.

* * *

**There! Chap 2 is up! I hope i didn't make any typo mistakes in this chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

Setsuna didn't expect anyone to be waiting for her as she reached the school, thus she was surprised when she saw the captain of the shuttle loitering around the gate. Upon spotting her, the captain ran over, his helmet securely under his arm.

"Setsuna-san" He greeted her "I apologize for my men's behavior earlier."

"Hai?" Setsuna was confused

The man gave her a sad smile "Its because of them that you didn't that the shuttle back with us, right?"

"It's alright. Really." Setsuna replied "I'm used to it. Plus, the survivors were the priority. If I got into an argument with one of your men, the shuttle back would have been delayed."

"But it is still no excuse to leave someone behind" the captain frowned

"Its fine." Setsuna smiled "If i left with you, I would have never picked this up."

The captain stared at the case Setsuna was carrying. He noticed the tag on the bag handle. "Shall I bring that to Konoka-sama for you?"

"I'm heading to the infirmary anyway." Setsuna shook her head "Thanks for the offer."

The communicator on the captain's belt beeped, the captain frowned upon looking at it. Sighing, he clipped the communicator back onto his jacket and gave Setsuna an apologetic look before dashing off. Whatever it was, it must have been really important. Shrugging, the raven-haired girl walked into the school, heading straight to the infirmary. Several stares were thrown her way, most of them glares, the rest fell onto the shoulder where her arm was missing. As used as she was to people staring, Setsuna still found it extreme hard to ignore the constant stares by the students, knowing that in their mind, they were probably saying things behind her back.

Sliding open the door to the infirmary, Setsuna was greeted with the sight of medical staff rushing back and forth, trying to treat all the casualties. Out of the 23 crew members on the ship, a miraculous number of 12 survivors were found. The captain had ordered his crew to move as far back as he could, using the ship's cockpit as a buffer, sacrificing himself to save his crew. A few surviving members were discovered by the shadow demons and killed, prompting the est of hide quietly and wait for rescue to arrive.

"She's in the back Setsuna-chan" A voice interrupted her thoughts

"Ah.. Chile-san" Setsuna greeted "Is Ojou-sama alright?

"Hm." the petite brunette doctor answered "She has slight bruising on her thighs due to the weight of the beam, a laceration near her temple and a few other scrapes. Nothing serious."

"Sou.. Arigato" Setsuna bowed the best she could

"Go on. She's been asking for you" Chile smiled "Oh, and you're free to bring her back to her room to rest. Be careful, her legs might still be hurting."

Bowing once more, Setsuna maneuvered her way through the medical centre, heading to the back, where the wards were. The door was open, and Setsuna stepped hesitantly. Warm brown eyes twinkled merrily as they laid eyes on her childhood friend

"Sec-chan!" Konoka called out happily

"Daijoubu desu ka?" Setsuna asked, walking over to the bed.

Konoka frowned at the mention of her title, but quickly nodded with a bright smile "Hm! I can leave already!"

"That's great." Setsuna replied "Sou.. I picked this up at the site. The salvage squad would have picked it up later, but I thought you might need it now."

Konoka giggled and threw her arms around Setsuna, who stiffened at the contact "Arigatou Sec-chan!"

"Iie.. It was nothing" Setsuna mumbled, uncomfortable with the close proximity and contact with her charge.

"Let's go!" Konoka leaped off the bed quickly

As soon as Konoka landed on her feet, her legs buckled underneath her, unable to take the weight of her body so soon after the bruising. Pain shot through her thighs as Konoka prepared to hit the ground, only to feel a warm arm wrap around her, stopping her fall. She looked up to see Setsuna, her brows furrowed at the weight on her arm.

"Are you alright?" Setsuna asked, masking her discomfort

Konoka nodded slowly, attempting to stand up. It seems that Konoka had received more damage from the beam than initially expected, the girl could barely stand on her two feet. Setsuna winced slightly at the death-like grip upon her only arm as Konoka attempted to fight the pain. Skillfully, Setsuna maneuvered herself so that Konoka was leaning heavily on her left shoulder, her arm curled around the swordsman's shoulders for support. Setsuna gingerly rested her hand at the other girl's waist, supporting her with a cautious grip. Konoka used her free hand to pick up her suitcase, and proceeded out the door of the infirmary.

Together, they slowly made their way out of the infirmary. Thankfully, lessons had started, leaving the halls void of students. Setsuna silently thanked the stars. She wasn't sure she would be able to deal with the stares she would received from the other students, not to mention Saito and her gang. They shuffled along the corridors quietly, neither speaking a word to each other

Before long, they had reached Konoka's room. Konoka fumbled around trying to retrieve her room key from her pocket. Slipping the metal key into the keyhole, she turned it clockwise 3 times, the door's lock clicked. Turning the golden knob, Konoka pushed open the door revealing the small dorm room. It was small, but nonetheless sufficient. There was a small kitchen to the left as they entered the room, the tiny aisle from the door leading to the area that served as both the living room and the bedroom. To their left was the bed and study table and a small kotatsu on the right. A simple book shelf stood next to the study table. The bathroom was on their right, against the wall opposite the bed.

Setsuna gingerly set Konoka on the bed, careful not to hurt her legs any more. Once she made sure her charge was comfortable, the Shinmeiryuu practitioner bowed and turned to walk out. A small hand shot out and grasped her wrist, earning herself a small gasp as Konoka pulled Setsuna onto the edge of the bed with her

"Sec-chan" Konoka pouted "Where are you going?"

"Um...I.. I was going to check on my gauntlet" Sestuna nervously blurted out

"Your gauntlet won't be done until the end of the week." Konoka narrowed her eyes

"Eh!" Setsuna jumped slightly "H..how did you know?"

Konoka gave a small smirk "I had a nice loooooong chat with Romeo-san in the shuttle."

"With Romeo-san..." Setsuna repeated

"That's because Sec-chan wasn't there! And I was sooooooo bored" Konoka whined, dragging her words for emphasis

"Ahhh." Setsuna didn't know how to respond to her charge's antics "W..What's there to talk about?"

Konoka gave Setsuna look of disbelief "Sec-chan! We haven't seen each other in 10 years! What do you mean there's nothing to talk about!"

The raven-haired girl grimaced at the light reprimanding from Konoka. "Ehm.. uh... I... I..."

Konoka mock-pouted at the stammering girl, giggling lightly after a while. Setsuna hadn't changed much from their younger days. She was still extremely bad at conversations and was really easy to tease. Oh yes, now that she was here, Konoka wouldn't miss an opportunity to tease the poor girl as much as she could.

"Mahhh. Start by telling me what you've been up to" Konoka cut in, stopping the muted ramblings of the other girl

"Eh? Me? Em... Practicing my swordmanship, attending classes..." Setsuna stopped and began to frown really hard

"Uso!" Konoka exclaimed "10 years and that's all you've done? How about friends?"

"Friends... Asuna"

"Only one?"

"Hai..."

"What do you guys do together?"

"Train.."

"Anything else?"

"No..."

Konoka mentally face-palmed at the lack of social behavior her childhood friend had. She looked over at the fidgeting girl and made a mental note to drag Setsuna to any social gatherings in the future. For a while, they sat there in awkward silence.

"I..I better go.." Setsuna stood up abruptly, heading towards the door

"Sec-chan!" Konoka called out, unable to grab the girl in time.

"I..I have.. things to do..." Setsuna lied

Konoka raised an eyebrow not believing her one bit. In reality, Setsuna just wanted to get out of Konoka's room before anyone saw her. Given her reputation in the school, Setsuna didn't want to do anything that would divert the stares towards Konoka. The entire school already knew of Konoka's presence, and without a doubt students like Saito would be on the lookout for the famed mage. The last thing Setsuna wanted was to intensify their dislike of her but spotting her with Konoka.

Setsuna bowed quickly, ignoring the questioning look given to her by Konoka, and stepped out of the door quickly. However, before she could close the door, a sickening voice reached her ears, destroying any hope of being spotted

"What are you doing here, demon." Saito's voice came from behind her.

Setsuna quickly closed the door, jumping slightly as the door slammed loudly. She prayed Konoka didn't hear Saito. Konoka shouldn't have to concern herself with worrying about Setsuna.

"None of your business" Setsuna replied gruffly, turning to walk away

A tall figure blocked her path, and Setsuna realized it was one of the guys from Saito's class. A skilled solider, Setsuna recalled. One of Saito's crazy fanboys.

"Saito-sama is speaking to you, worm." He stared down at Setsuna, being a full two heads taller than her

"Well, I have nothing to say to her" Setsuna said matter-of-fact, side-stepping the tall soldier.

Something hot flew past her head, startling her as she saw a small stream of fire shooting past her head. She growled, but didn't turn back, instead focusing on the spot on the wall where the fire stream had struck, a small charred spot contrasting the caramel colored walls.

"Offensive Magic isn't to be used in the building without supervision" Setsuna warned

Saito played with the ball of fire in her hand "And I care why? Its not like anyone would believe you over me."

"Give it a rest Saito." Setsuna stressed "I'm done dealing with you. Leave me alone."

Setsuna stalked off quickly, leaving Saito fuming. Angrily, she tossed the fireball in her hand towards Setsuna. Her senses on full alert, Setsuna twirled around, left hand grasping her sword in the reverse grip. The fireball came in contact with the cloth around Yunnagi, burning a hole in it. Setsuna sent the flaming ball back towards Saito, missing her head by inches.

"Don't try that again." Setsuna snarled before walking off, leaving a shocked Saito rooted to the spot.

"I'll get back at you for this" Saito growled, clenching her fists before stalking off.

* * *

**Alright. I think this chapter isn't as great as the previous chapter. But I hope you guys like it**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

Konoka's presence in the school had caused a huge reaction among the students. Students gathered to speak of the talented mage that was the dean's granddaughter, earning the chocolate haired girl a fan club even before she started classes. Due to her injuries, Konoka had been given the week off. Asuna brought Konoka her homework from the classes, at the request of Setsuna, who insisted Asuna befriend Konoka in an attempt to distance herself further from Konoka.

Thankfully, Konoka was easily distracted by the hyper-active Asuna, and the two became really good friends. Through Asuna, Konoka found out her timetable was different from Setsuna and Asuna. While Setsuna and Asuna were under the soldier class, Konoka came under the mage class, thus they had several classes that differed from each other. For example, Setsuna and Asuna had a close range combat class, while Konoka had a class focused on healing. They do have several classes together, such as combat tactics and team battles.

Setsuna rarely visited Konoka while she was resting, and when she did, it would always be late in the evening, earning some less than desirable teasing from both Asuna and Konoka.

"I would never!" Setsuna spluttered out, her flushing face as red as a fire hydrant

"Oooooo" Asuna grinned "Why else would you only come at night? Hmmmm Am I interrupting anything!"

"Chi..Chigau!" Setsuna waved her hands in front of her, while Konoka giggled at the comment

"Mou... Sec-chan!" Konoka mock-pouted "You mean you don't want to spend some time alone with me?"'

"Yes... No!... That's not what I mean... " Setsuna fumbled over her words, earning a loud chuckle from Asuna "Mou..."

Asuna was in tears, legs in the air as she lay flat on her back. One more look at Setsuna and laughter erupted from the orange haired girl. Setsuna's face was so red, it seemed that all the blood in the pale girl's body had rushed to her face, hampering her ability to think properly. The three girls had gathered in Konoka's room that day, Setsuna only coming along after Asuna threatened to throttle her. Konoka was starting school the next day and Asuna thought it would be good to give Konoka a full-rundown of the school.

"Let's get back to the topic" Setsuna looked away trying to get her face back to its normal colour

"Hai. Hai" Asuna sat up, crossing her legs "Ehh what else is there to say?"

"Well, I think all that's left is the school tour!" Konoka clapped her hands gleefully

"Yosh! Let's go!" Asuna yelled, standing up

"At this hour!" Setsuna exclaimed in shock

Asuna threw an arm around the swordwoman grinning "Isn't it fine!

"No!" Setsuna argued back "Its late and we're not suppose to leave the dorms at this hour."

"Please!" Konoka pouted, her eyes begging Setsuna

"No!" Setsuna repeated firmly "And there's nothing that can make me change my mind!"

* * *

"You have to teach me how to do that one day" Asuna whispered into Konoka ear

Konoka giggled softly, glancing over at the clearly irritated swordsman. The three girls were creeping about the corridors of the school building late at night. Setsuna cursed herself for giving in so easily to her charge, which resulted her in accompanying the troublesome duo about the school. It was nearly impossible to resist the puppy-dog eyes Konoka was giving her, not to mention her charge had latched on to her firmly, refusing to let go until she agreed to come along.

"Matte!" Asuna hissed, stopping suddenly

Setsuna crashed into Konoka, who stopped on Asuna's cue, almost causing them to tumble out of their hiding spot. Asuna heaved a sigh of relief as the patrolling guard passed, turning to glare at Setsuna, who returned an equally menacing glare. Ignoring the grumbling from the soldier, Asuna pressed forward, on alert for any of the guards. 6 classrooms, 5 laboratories and a sports hall later, the three girls found themselves back outside Konoka's room, exhausted.

"Ja... I'll be leaving" Setsuna spoke "I gotta wake early tomorrow."

"To get fitted?" Asuna asked

Setsuna nodded. "Romeo-san said it was ready. I would have gone today but..."

Asuna gave a sheepish grin.

"Can I come along?" Konoka asked softly

"Eh?"

"Datte. Sec-chan is like this because of me. I..I..." Konoka whispered, her voice getting softer and softer

"It's not Ojou-sama's fault" Setsuna chided lightly

Asuna frowned, but decided not to ask. She might be hyper-active and stubborn, but she knew when not to butt in, especially in Setsuna's affairs. "Mah. I'm going off first. See you tomorrow..."

Setsuna watched the retreating back of her friend before turning back to Konoka. Konoka stared intently at he "Can I come? Please?"

"Dame! You have school tomorrow. It wouldn't reflect very well on you to miss your first day of school" Setsuna replied firmly "Besides, its a routine fitting. I'll be fine

"Demo!" Konoka argued, but Setsuna didn't give her a chance to finish

"Please excuse me" Setsuna said hurriedly, turning away "Sleep well, Ojou-sama"

Konoka frowned deeply and contemplated running after Setsuna, but decided against it. She knew Setsuna would never agree to let her go no matter what. Sighing, Konoka entered her room and prepared to go to sleep. She glanced at her alarm clock sitting next to her bed and sat up quickly. Taking the ticking object in hand, Konoka twisted the small knob at the back, setting her alarm for the next day. Satisfied after double checking the alarm, Konoka fell back against the bed and curled up comfortably in her sheets.

* * *

"Ohaiyou Sec-chan!" Konoka greeted cheerfully

"Hmmmmm... Ojou-sama?" Setsuna yawned, her towel slung around her shoulders "Why...Why are you here so early? Its only..." Setsuna glanced at the digital clock on her bedside "5 in the morning"

"I'm going to accompany you today" Konoka gave a peace sign, grinning

"Eh!" Setsuna exclaimed, slapping her hand over her mouth as she remembered the time. "You can't! I told you -"

"Mou!" Konoka complained stubbornly " I'm already here! So I'm coming along!"

"But..But." Setsuna stammered

"Weren't you in the middle of getting ready?" Konoka pushed past Setsuna and sat down on her bed

Setsuna sighed deeply, resigned to her fate "I'll be ready soon, Ojou-sama"

The raven-haired girl slipped into the bathroom, locking the door with a click. As the shower turned on, Konoka took a good look around Setsuna's room. It was identical to hers, but less cluttered. Yuunagi was propped up near her desk, her school bag hanging off the side of the chair. A small cork board hung above her desk, void of everything except a picture pinned to the side of the board. Konoka leaned forward to take a closer look at the picture, smiling as she recognized the two girls on the picture. It was a shot from their younger days, before that incident happened.

Pulling her eyes away from the pictures, Konoka scanned Setsuna's bookshelf. To her surprise, Setsuna had quite a large collection of books, mainly action and adventure. A small collection of combat strategy books sat upon the shelf, next to... Konoka's eyes widened considerably. No way... Setsuna reads these kinda books? Konoka gingerly took the book off the shelf and stared at the cover. The title "Hatsukoi" was emblazoned on the cover, decorated in pink hearts and sparkles. Curious, Konoka stole a glance at the bathroom door. Satisfied that Setsuna wouldn't be coming out anytime soon, the mage began to flip through the book.

Konoka was so engrossed in the book that she didn't hear Setsuna coming out of the bathroom, nor did she react to Setsuna's stammering as the girl caught sight of the book in her charge's hand.

"Hey!" Konoka exclaimed as Setsuna ripped the book out of her hands, blushing furiously

"O..Ojou-sama!" Setsuna mumbled "Don't just take books off my shelf!"

"Sec-chan.. I didn't realized you read these kinda books?" Konoka raised her eyebrows, staring at her bodyguard.

"I...I don't!" Setsuna responded, her face turning ninety shades of red "It...It's a book for someone else."

"Ohhh.. who?" Konoka stepped closer to the blushing girl

"Ah...Y..You wouldn't know her..." Setsuna stumbled over her words. Glancing at the clock, Setsuna hurried left the book on her desk and grabbed Yuunagi and her bag "L..Let's go. Ojou-sama."

"Oh...I thought you didn't want me to come along?" Konoka latched herself onto the tomato-faced girl's arm, teasing her

"I...um.. ehh.. I.. I..." Setsuna's brain went into overload, resulting in a blabbering mess "I... since Ojou-sama is here... I mean.. It would be a wasted trip..."

Konoka giggled, sticking even closer to Setsuna, who stiffened in response. As the two made their way to the technician's office, Konoka made a mental note to tell Setsuna what a horrible liar she was, especially since Konoka had already seen Setsuna's name neatly hand-written at the bottom of the first page.

* * *

**I'm taking a slow approach to this entire story. I'm trying not to overdo certain things, a mistake I've made with previous stories. I hope you will forgive the slow pace this story is going at.**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

The technician office was more of a garage than an office. Shelves of metal parts filled the room and there was an overpowering smell of oil and grease in the air. Konoka wrinkled her nose at the smell, trying not to trip over any of the metal pieces strewn on the floor. At a corner of the room sat Romeo, who was working on what seemed to be a robot's torso, the wires and springs sticking out of the exposed areas. The technician seemed to be working hard on something, orange sparks flying through the air as the ear-piercing sound of grinding metal filled the air.

"Romeo-san!" Setsuna called out, wincing at the noise "ROMEO-SAN!"

"Ahhh. Setsuna-chan. Here already?" Romeo halted his work, instantly killing the noise in the shop. He pulled off the protective headphones around his ears, letting them hang around his neck "Ara? Konoe-san is here too."

"Konoka is fine" Konoka smiled

"Ah sou. Konoka-chan must be very important to Setsuna-chan ne?" Romeo stood up and fumbled in his pocket "Setsuna-chan never brings anyone here."

"Its not like that!" Setsuna mumbled, half grumbling under her breath "She didn't give me a choice."

Romeo chuckled at the grumbling girl as he fished out his key, unlocking a door next to the table. "Well, whatever the case, come on in. Take a seat. I'll go grab my things."

Setsuna and Konoka entered the small room. It wasn't much. A long bed stood in the center of the room, the mattress and pillow covered in a gray cover. Beside the bed was a low seat and a small metal table. On the other side, a single sofa cluttered with papers. Setsuna sighed and began to stack the papers, creating a space for Konoka to sit down.

"Gomen. Its usually just the both of us" Setsuna apologized, sitting on the bed

Konoka nodded quietly as Romeo entered, pushing a waist high metal toolbox. The tool box was huge, with 6 built in shelves. A long item bundled in cloth sat atop the toolbox. Probably the gauntlet, Konoka surmised. The mage's eyes wandered from the toolbox to Romeo, who was settling down on the small seat, to Setsuna, who was pulling off the button-up shirt she was wearing. Konoka's eyes widened as she watched her bodyguard strip off the garment, leaving her in a simple black singlet. Taking in the lean build of her childhood friend, Konoka thought about how much Setsuna had changed in 10 years

A hearty laugh from Romeo brought Konoka out of her thoughts. Hey eyes fell onto Setsuna, or rather the blushing mess that was her bodyguard atop the bed, frozen in place.

"Gomen Gomen!" Romeo laughed, slapping his knee "Setsuna-chan is always shy when it comes to fitting, but I've never seen her like this! Konoka-chan, you have quite an impact on her."

Romeo roared with laughter as Konoka felt the faintest hint of blush dancing across the cheeks "Mahh Sec-chan, what's wrong? Its not like I've never seen you strip before. Remember when we used to -"

Setsuna almost jumped off the bed towards Konoka, hand flailing wildly "T...T..That was when we were kids! O...O...Ojou-sama!"

"Hai Hai!" Romeo pulled Setsuna back onto the bed "We don't have time to play around. We'll continue this another day."

"Romeo-san!" Setsuna exclaimed loudly

"Hai Hai!" Romeo smacked Setsuna on the head lightly "Lie down and don't move!"

Setsuna laid back on the bed, eyes settling on the ceiling as Romeo sat on the seat to her right. Konoka watched as Romeo pulled out a cloth and started to poke around in the metal socket attached to Setsuna's body. Konoka felt a hint of worry, but relaxed as soon as she saw that Setsuna was in no pain. A few minutes later, the cloth was covered in grease and dirt. Chucking the cloth atop the toolbox, Romeo unwrapped the bundle that he had grabbed. As Konoka had guessed, it was Setsuna's new gauntlet,or at least the parts for it. As Romeo examined each part, Konoka took the chance to observe it as well.

'Romeo-san is extremely talented" Konoka thought as she recognized several high-leveled defensive and reinforcement spells on several pieces. there weren't many offensive spells, but the few that were there were extremely high leveled spells as well.

"See something intriguing?" Konoka looked at the technician, his eyes twinkling

"I was just thinking that Romeo-san is very talented" Konoka smiled "I recognize some very high level spells"

"Ehh you do?" Romeo exclaimed "Konoka-chan must be a very powerful mage!"

"Iie. Not at all" Konoka shook her head "I'm a healer mage. I don't do so well with offensive spells."

"Sou ka... The complete opposite of Setsuna-chan" Romeo twirled a spanner in his hand "This girl doesn't know when to stop attacking."

Konoka waited for Setsuna's angry retort, but none came. She looked over and realized that the other girl had fallen sound asleep, oblivious to their conversation yet again "Sec-chan has always been that way."

"Konoka-chan, come here." Romeo called the mage over, setting down his spanner. "I'll teach you how to attach Setsuna's gauntlet."

"Eh?" Konoka gasped in surprise. "Nande?"

"Some one has to detach it properly if this baka here destroys it again." Romeo sighed "Or when it needs to be cleaned. If Konoka-can can help her do that, then she'll have to make less trips here!"

Romeo's eyes twinkled at the thought to having more free time for himself, while Konoka remained oblivious to his ulterior motives. She eagerly slipped over the Romeo's sides, her eyes following his every move as he showed her how to maintain everything and where each section should go.

"Don't worry about the little pieces" Romeo explained, showing Konoka how to fit the sections together "All you need to to is the piece together the sections like this"

Romeo snapped the upper section onto Setsuna's shoulder socket, the swordsman twitched in her sleep, but didn't wake up. Taking a small wrench, Romeo showed Konoka the various tubes and sections that needed to be connected together, tightening the bolts so that they would work properly. The technician handed Konoka the lower arm section, standing up so that she could sit. Hesitantly, Konoka took the item from the man and sat down. She could see the various wires hanging out of the upper sections, and she was getting nervous.

"Ano.. Romeo-san. I think we should -" Konoka started

"You can do it" Romeo smiled, resting his hand on her shoulder reassuringly "Do it for Setsuna-chan."

Reaffirming her resolve, Konoka began to mimic Romeo's movements. First, connecting the main joint. It was a simple ball and socket joint, and Konoka easily snapped it in place, her breath caught in her throat as Setsuna stirred in her sleep.

"Don't worry. It doesn't hurt, even when she's awake" Romeo spoke, calming her nerves

Next step, connecting what Romeo call the five nerve stems. These were thick blue tubes that were evenly placed around the rim of the ball and socket joint. As its name states, these five tubes are the nervous system of Setsuna's right arm, giving her the ability to feel and touch with the metal gauntlet. Konoka took the small wrench in her hand, and attempted to screw on the first tube. It was harder than she thought. The small space available was barely enough for the small wrench, let alone any space to see. After fumbling about for a while and while Romeo's guidance, Konoka managed to screw on the first one.

The next four tubes were the same, and Konoka managed to connect them much faster, having figured out the technique while tightening the first bolt. Romeo tested each one, and tightened the bolts further. Once he was satisfied, he showed Konoka how to fasten on the cover, hiding the tubes and wires from view.

"Yosh!" Romeo wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Now all that's left is the main connection."

"Main connection?" Konoka asked. "Isn't everything already connected?"

"That's right!" Romeo replied "It's a safety pre-caution. Setsuna-chan is able to cut the connection to her arm at any moment. Of course this means that she won't be able to move her arm at all"

"Ah.. Sec-chan.. I think she did that while trying to save me from that shadow demon" Konoka recalled

"Due to the nerve tubes, Setsuna-chan can feel everything a normal hand can, even pain." Romeo explained "So when her gauntlet is terribly damaged, Setsuna-chan can cut the connection to it. Although she rarely cuts the connection unless its for maintenance or when she's in severe pain."

"Then that time.." Konoka remembered the scene where Setsuna had been grabbed by the demon "Sec-chan must have been hurting a lot.."

"Damn that demon!" Romeo seethed to himself "How dare you burn through my circuits! Do you know how long it takes to etch each spell!"

"Romeo-san?" Konoka watched the grumbling man curiously

"Ahhh Well "Romeo laughed sheepishly "To activate the main connection, either Setsuna-chan or someone needs to send a flow of magic though the socket to activate my circuits."

"Setsuna-chan.. Setsuna-chan.. Wake up..." Romeo gently shook the sleeping girl

"Uwah... uh..." Setsuna groaned "Are we done?"

"Yep!" Romeo replied cheerfully "All that's left to do is to activate the connection."

"Sou.. Arigatou Romeo-san" Setsuna bowed slightly

Setsuna examined the new gauntlet that had been attached to her shoulder. It was a simple design, looking very much like a robotic arm, with the exception of an attached shoulder guard and the presence of spells etched onto the surface. Setsuna placed her left hand against her shoulder, the spell controlling the connection near her collarbone. Pressing her palm to it, Setsuna closed her eyes and prepared herself. Her eyes shot open when a small hand placed itself upon hers, looking up, her eyes met Konoka's.

"Ojou-sama..." Setsuna mumbled

Konoka merely smiled at her guardian. Setsuna took a deep breath and closed her eyes once more. Counting to three, she let loose a small amount of magic. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough to activate the connection. A sharp pain shot through her shoulder, disappearing as quickly as it had come. Setsuna's face scrunched in pain. No matter how often she had done it, activating the connection stung a lot. Flexing her fingers, Setsuna tested out the arm, nodding in satisfaction as nothing felt out of place.

"Daijoubu? Sec-chan?" Konoka asked worriedly

"Don't worry about me. Ojou-sama" Setsuna replied, her breathing slightly heavy "I am fine."

A cooling sensation fell upon her shoulder, relieving her of the pain. Setsuna looked at Konoka, who was smiling at her "There you go, Sec-chan"

"A...Arigatou Ojou-sama" Setsuna bowed. Looking around, she asked "What time is it?"

"Mah... about 3pm." Romeo replied, taking a quick look at his watch.

"Oh.. 3pm" Setsuna nodded "EHHHH! 3pm! I've missed a whole day of school!"

"Gomen!" Romeo apologized, winking discreetly at Konoka "There were a few delays."

"Mou... what should I do.." Setsuna mumbled, depressed "I only applied for half day leave... The senseis are going to scold me..."

"Daijoubu! I'm sure grandpa will do something" Konoka grinned "Now i get to spend the whole day with Sec-chan!"

"Eh!" Setsuna exclaimed as Konoka grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her out the door, barely giving her time to grab her shirt from the bed

"Ja ne! Romeo-san!" Konoka yelled

"Ma..Matte! Ojou-sama!" Setsuna called after her, stumbling over her own feet.

Romeo watched as the two burst out the door, a smile creeping onto his face as he heard several students shriek in surprise at the duo charging out of the office. Pushing the toolbox out, Romeo locked the door and looked at the robot sitting upon his desk.

"Well then, its just you and me now..."

* * *

**Finally! Goodness. School starts tomorrow and I'll be really busy from now on. Chapters might come up slower than expected, but I'll try to write as fast as I can! Please bear with the slow updates from now on!**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

"Wow! Konoka-sama is so great!

"Konoka-sama!"

"Konoka-sama is so pretty."

"Konoka-hime-sama is really powerful"

Konoka gave a smile as she walked down the corridor. Students gushed over her constantly, and Konoka received the attention like a real princess, smiling and waving as she walked past. Stepping into her classroom, she closed the door behind her with a sigh.

"Yo Konoka!" Asuna's cheery voice echoed through the classroom

"O...Ohaiyou! Konoka-san" the voice of their soft-spoken classmate, Nodoka, greeted her

"Ohaiyou!" Konoka greeted with enthusiasm.

"Konoka-san is very popular de gozaru" Kaede popped up from nowhere

"Uwahhh!" Asuna shrieked in surprie. "Don't scare me like that Kaede!"

"Sumimasen de gozaru" Kaede apologised

"If every little thing scares you, how ever did you become a solider, you monkey" a sharp voice came from behind them

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MONKEY YOU LECHEROUS PEDOPHILE!" Asuna raged, turning to face the class president.

Ayaka flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder nonchalantly "Who else! There's only one monkey with pigtails in this room!"

As Asuna started her daily dispute with Ayaka, Konoka took the time to remember all her new classmates. Asuna, was Setsuna's close friend and had become one of her close friends as well. The orange-pigtailed girl was extremely energetic and was able to entertain the equally bubbly personality of the young mage. A complete opposite of the usually stoic swordsman, Konoka often wondered how Asuna became such steadfast friends with Setsuna.

Nodoka was a quiet shy girl in the class that easily got nervous, especially conversing with people. Konoka had been paired with Nodoka during one of their magic classes. Nodoka stuttered immensely when they were first acquainted, but soon grew comfortable around Konoka. Since then, Konoka stuck with Nodoka and her friend Yue during classes where she was separated from Setsuna and Asuna.

Kaede was a tall girl who was well versed in the ninja arts. Classified under the soldier class, Konoka didn't hang around Kaede as much as the others. Initially uncomfortable with the way Kaede addressed her with a formal title, Konoka soon became used to it as the ninja used honorifics with just about anyone. Konoka didn't talk to her much, but with her friendly personality, Konoka got along with the tall ninja just fine.

Just then, the door behind her slipped open. Konoka, who was leaning against the door, fell back in surprise, her back hitting a study chest. Two small hands grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

"Daijoubu? Ojou-sama" A familiar voice mumbled in her ear

Konoka frowned at the title, but nodded as she turned "Mn. Ohaiyou Sec-chan!"

"O..Ohaiyou.." the shorter girl greeted her with a slight bow. After some thought, Setsuna added. "..Ojou-sama"

"Mou! Again with the Ojou-sama!" Konoka pouted "Kono-chan!"

"Demo.. Ojou-sama is.." Setsuna started

"Why is everyone gathered at the door? Is something wrong?" a boyish voice came from the corridor

"Ah.. Negi-sensei" Setsuna bowed

Negi was looking up at the taller girls, teaching material in hand. Upon seeing Negi, everyone quickly shuffled to their seats, waiting for the lesson to begin.

"Well, I have a special announcement to make" Negi started, his eyes scanning the classroom "Next month, all the year 2 classes will be attended a survival field trip in the Monster forest."

"Eh! The Monster Forest?!" one of the boy voiced out in surprise "Negi-sensei, isn't that area infested with monsters. Won't it be dangerous?"

"What are you? A chicken?" another boy replied "Isn't that what we've been training for?"

This sparked a large debate among the class, some worried about the danger, some looking forward to it. Setsuna frowned as her dark eyes briefly glanced over at Konoka, who was sitting a few rows in front of her, worried for her safety even though she knew Konoka was capable for defending herself to a certain extent.

"Ano!" Negi raised his voice above the noise, silencing the class "The teachers have already cleared out the dangerous monsters and wards are in place to keep them from returning. The beasts that are left are just slightly tougher than what we have been training against. It will be a good test of your survival and battle skills. So please do not worry."

"For additional safety, the class will be split into pairs. Your objective is to survive for 4 days in the forest." Negi continued

"Sounds simple enough" Asuna mumbled

"Not so fast! There is a twist!" a loud voice boomed from outside the class, causing everyone to jump.

The classroom door flew open, and a tall gray haired man walked in, a smile on his face.

"T...Takahata-sensei!" Asuna jumped up from her seat, her face red

Setsuna hurriedly grabbed Asuna's sleeve and yanked her back into her seat before the pig-tailed girl made a blabbering fool out of herself. It was rare to see Asuna acting flustered, that was usually Setsuna's job, but to say that Asuna had a crush on Takahata-sensei was a major understatement. Setsuna could never understand what Asuna saw in older men and she doesn't intend to find out.

"Now, as I was saying" Takahata continued "All of you will be in pairs, but you will be pit against a pair from another class during the trip. It'll be like a mini competition. the class with the most surviving pairs win the competition."

"Battle... Royale..." Setsuna whispered to herself

"Against the other classes?!" Nodoka asked "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Hahahaha. Don't worry. Killing is strictly forbidden throughout the 4 days. All of you will be wearing this" Takahata took out a small device attached to a ribbon. "This device will transport you back to the school once you are unable to fight, or receive a fatal blow that would have killed you."

"What will the winning class get?" Ayaka asked

"An all-expenses paid trip to the famous Shikawa Onsen!" Takahata grinned brightly, watching the male students starting to fantasize

"Yosh!" Asuna stood up in a victory pose "Let's win! Class 2A!"

"YOSH!" the rest of the class chorused

The chatter and excitement soon died down as Negi began to give further details about the competition. Each pair will be randomly scattered around a designated area for the competition. Survival skills and combat tactics will be tested. the teachers will be keeping an eye on things to prevent foul play and will be on stand-by. Being a survival competition, each student can only bring two items with them.

'Two items.. huh..' Setsuna mused as she walked down the hallways in a daze 'I definitely must take Yuunagi with me... the other item...'

"Oi! Setsuna!"

Pre-occupied with her thoughts, Setsuna didn't hear a loud voice calling her, nor did she hear the hurried footsteps behind her.

"Oi... I was TALKING TO YOU!" a fist struck her head, jolting the swordsman out of her thoughts

"Itte!" Setsuna grabbed the throbbing spot "Dare ga- Asuna... what are you-"

"NEGI! THAT BRAT!" Asuna practically yelled in her ear, causing the raven haired girl to cringe

"What happened?" Setsuna asked, continuing her walk down the corridor, trying to avoid the attention Asuna had drawn to the both of them

"He said I should join with someone who can fight instead of having some one who can support!" Asuna seethed angrily

"And.. the problem is..." Setsuna cocked her head to the side

"He's insinuating that I, the great Kagurazaka Asuna, is not skilled enough to be able to defend a support type!" Asuna's eyes went ablaze, and a soft sigh came from Setsuna

"Negi-sensei is just worried about your abilities. That's all" Setsuna replied quietly

"He's definitely looking down on me!" Asuna growled

Setsuna shook her head, leaving the other girl to seeth in anger. Asuna wasn't like the other soldiers. She held the special ability to nullify and neutralize all forms of magic. The perfect ability for a head-strong girl like Asuna, who charges into a fight without thinking. Being such a hot-head, Asuna couldn't see the true meaning behind Negi's suggestion. It would be hard for a support type to heal Asuna if they got into a fight. Asuna's ability to nullify magic made it extremely difficult for the mages to cast heal spells on her. And even if the spells worked, they would activate at an extremely slow pace.

"Ne Setsuna, do you have a partner yet?" Asuna asked

Setsuna shook her head slowly "Not yet."

"Great!" Asuna swung an arm around the shorter girl, a bright smile on her face "I'm going with you"

"B..But.. Ojou-sama" Setsuna stammered out "I need to..."

"Don't worry!" Asuna slapped Setsuna hard on the back, causing the swordsman to stumble "I heard she's teaming up with Kaede. She'll be fine."

Setsuna couldn't help but frown deeply at the thought of not protecting Konoka. However, she knew Kaede was strong. Konoka would be safe with her. With some luck, they would be able to meet in the forest, allowing Setsuna to resume her duties of being Konoka's protector. But for now, she would have to leave Konoka's safety in Kaede's capable hands.

* * *

**Alright! there's going to be some action in the next chapter... I hope :D**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

It was finally the day of the competition. The year 2 students crowded the parade square in their respective classes, their homeroom teachers double checking the pairs and items each student brought. Setsuna tightened her grip on Yuunagi, which was slung over her shoulder. Her left hand rested gingerly on the hilt of the small dagger tucked safely in her belt. It would be useful for hunting, and certainly much more practical to use for survival than Yuunagi, a battle sword.

"It's fine isn't it!" Asuna's loud voice grumbled "It's one bag!"

"Kagurazaka-san! This is a survival trip! A bag of food is not allowed! Anyway, food is prohibited!" The sensei sighed in exasperation, repeating herself for what seemed to be the millionth time. "We're running out of time, so I will allow you to choose one item from the bag."

Asuna frowned and grumbled louder "DEMO!"

"Asuna.." Setsuna sighed "Hurry up. Everyone else is waiting"

The pairs behind then glanced curiously in front, wondering why the sensei took so long to check their items and pairings. Asuna laughed sheepishly as she felt all the eyes on her, and quickly turned her attention to the bag. She rummaged quickly through the heap of candies and chocolates and fished out a large bag of chip. Asuna smiled brightly, her eyes twinkling at the sight of the snack

"Asuna" Setsuna stressed "Its a survival test."

Asuna stuck her tongue out childishly at the swordsman, who responded by shaking her head. The orange-haired girl looked sadly at the bag of chips in her hand, before exchanging it for a medium sized water canteen stashed in the bottom of the bag. The sensei nodded at her choice, handing them both a ribbon before sighing in relief as she moved on, pen tapping against the clipboard she held as she checked the remaining students.

"Ahhh my snacks.." Asuna mumbled as she watched staff members dragged the huge knapsack of snacks back to the dorm rooms.

"It's 4 days Asuna." Setsuna replied "Its not that long."

"Sakurazaki Setsuna and Kagurazaka Asuna" A voice boomed across the parade square.

Setsuna headed over to the platform, where the sensei with the microphone stood. Thanks to Asuna's hold-up, the pairs from the other classes were already waiting at the platform for them. Eyes bore into her back as Setsuna approached the platform.

"Section 7C" came the short order

Nodding curtly, Setsuna stepped onto the magic circle drawn onto the ground. Asuna stood beside her, seemingly over the loss of her snacks. Setsuna's vision grew purple as the ring below their feet began to glow brightly. It grew brighter and brighter and the two girls had to close their eyes from the immense brightness. Setsuna felt a floating sensation for a split second, before hearing the crisp crunch of grass as they landed at their destination.

Opening her eyes, Setsuna found herself in a cheery section of the forest. The trees swayed gently as the wind carried the sounds of crickets and other living creatures to their ears. Setsuna took a moment to bask in the quiet atmosphere, the fresh scent of nature surrounding her very being. The faint sound of rushing water reached her ears, causing Setsuna to turn in that direction.

"This way" she spoke, making her way through the thick foliage

Asuna scrambled after her, grumbling as the weapon strapped to her back got tangled up in the vines "Matte yo!"

It wasn't long before Setsuna stood at the edge of a flowing river. The current was strong and could easily sweep them away if they weren't careful. Setsuna observed her surroundings as Asuna filled her water canteen. A small rustle reached her ears, Setsuna tensed up, looking around warily. Her right hand cautiously moved to Yuunagi, which was strapped to her shoulder.

"Setsuna?" Asuna asked.

Another rustle echoed through the trees, causing Asuna to freeze. Asuna unsheathed her sword, grasping the hilt firmly with both hands. Her eyes scanned the surrounding trees, darting left and right. The girls slowly backed up into each other, pressing their backs to each other, each girl scanning her forest went silent. No birds, no insects, just the quiet rustling of leaves in the air.

"Above!" Setsuna darted forwards, turning quickly to see a cloud of dust enveloping the spot she was standing on.

A figure darted out of the smoke, the lingering trail made by the smoke giving away his location. Setsuna kept her guard up, and sighed with relief as she saw Asuna safely crouched on the other side. No words needed to be said. Asuna stood up, her grip on the sword tightening

"Teme! Get out here!" Asuna roared, swinging her heavy blade in the direction the figure escaped in.

The sharp metal sliced the tree in half easily, severing the trunk from the roots. Just before the tree hit the ground, a shadow leaped out of the tree, landing safely behind them.

"So you finally show yourself" Asuna smirked, getting into a fighting stance

"You are... Matsushita from 2C" Setsuna locked eyes with the ninja in front of her.

Standing tall and proud, the one named Matsushita was clad in a dark navy ninja outfit. A forehead protector hung around his neck, the lower section of his face covered with a mask. In his hand he held a tanto, its sharp blade gleaming in the sunlight. His eyes sparkled with disdain as he set his sights on Setsuna.

"Don't look away!" Asuna leaped into the air, her blade high over her head.

She brought it down with a mighty thud, dust flying everywhere as the nimble ninja escaped. Growling, Asuna charged forward again, catching Matsushita on the sleeve. While the fight went on, Setsuna scanned the remaining trees. His partner had to be hiding somewhere. Her eyes fell on the pair, who had moved dangerously close to the river bank. A sharp gleam caught Setsuna's eyes, the light winking through the dark leaves

Setsuna darted forward, catching the small knife in midflight. Asuna stared at the tiny weapon in shock, knowing that it would have struck her. Matsushita darted away quickly, a cunning look in his eyes.

"Gimme that!" Asuna snatched the knife from Setsuna and turned it over. "Oh crap!"

Asuna flung the weapon away, and it exploded in midair. The shockwave slammed into the two girls, the heat burning their skin. They fell into the river with a heavy splash. Setsuna barely managed to catch the triumphant grin of Matsushita as his partner joined him, before she was swept away by the strong current. Struggling to keep her head above water, Setsuna caught slight of an orange mass further down. Swimming the best she could, she reached the unconscious girl.

Asuna had taken the brunt of the exploding kunai, since she was closer to the weapon when it exploded. The impact of hitting the water must have knocked her unconscious. Slinging Asuna's arm over her shoulder, Setsuna desperately tried to find a grip to stop them from being swept further. She jabbed Yuunagi into the riverbed, trying to slow their progress, but the current was too strong and pushed her under once more. Coughing and spluttering, Setsuna's hand slipped from the wet hilt and the two girls tumbled forth into the river once more.

Surfacing once more, Setsuna struggled to stay afloat and keep Asuna's head above the water. The rushing water made it hard to see, but the steadily deafening sound told Setsuna a waterfall was near. There was nothing Setsuna could do to keep them from tumbling over the edge of the waterfall. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she plummeted. It was a long drop and Setsuna knew they might not survive.

Closing her eyes, Setsuna took a deep breath and pulled Asuna closer to her. Suppressing the sense of disgust filling her being, she let out her wings.

* * *

**Finally managed to get this chapter out. Sorry for the long wait.**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

Soaring through the sky, Setsuna closed her eyes and relished in the moment. The heat of the sun on her skin, the cool breeze running through her hair. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this good. She felt her wings flap gently, created small gusts of wind that propelled her further. Lost in thought, Setsuna almost forgot she was carrying a knocked out Asuna in her arms.

Descending, Setsuna landed gently on the riverbank, a good distance away from the waterfall, though the thunderous noise of the falling water still reached her ears. Resting Asuna against a nearby tree, Setsuna shook her wings, sending droplets of water everywhere. She took a longing look at her wings, its soft feathers winking at her in the sunlight. Retracting her wings with a sigh, Setsuna rested her hand on her side, where her small knife was still securely attached.

Asuna was in no condition to move. And without their weapons, they were sitting ducks. Moving wasn't such a good idea, and the day was going to end.

'These would make a sturdy shelter.." Setsuna mused, spying a bunch of thick fallen branches.

Asuna didn't stir until a good 3 hours later. When the orange-haired girl woke up, she was lying by a blazing fire, her clothes drying by the side, leaving her in a simple t-shirt and underwear.

"Itte..." Asuna winced as she sat up, a pounding pain in her head.

A rustle in the nearby bushes sent adrenaline pumping through her veins. Asuna reached for a sword, eyes widening in surprise as she realized it was nowhere to be found. Creeping near the bushes, Asuna prepared to catch whoever it was off guard. Time seemed to slow as Asuna's eyes caught a glimpse of a figure walking out.

"RAWR!" Asuna yelled as she jumped onto the figure, sending the both of them tumbling to the ground, shouting.

"Gotcha!" Asuna laughed triumphantly, straddling her attacker and pinning her arms to the ground "You thought you could catch the great Asuna off guard, did you?"

Her face lost its triumphant smirk as she realized who she had pinned to the ground. Laying beneath her, squashed berries smothering her face, was a very unamused Setsuna.

"Ah... its you Setsuna" Asuna exclaimed, feeling rather sheepish

"Please get off me" Setsuna spoke curtly, obviously rather annoyed at the sudden attack

Just as Asuna was about to get off, a rustle in the bushes caught their attention. The orange-haired girl froze, momentarily forgetting the girl she was straddling. Her eyes narrowed as she watch a tall silhouette appear, remaining as silent as she could to avoid detection.

"Asuna-dono? Setsuna-dono?" a familiar voice called out as the figure stepped into the light "Ah... did we come at a bad time de-gozaru?"

"Kaede!" The two of them froze as they saw their classmate "This isn't what it..."

"Sec-chan?..." A quiet voice came from behind the ninja

When Konoka stepped into view, Setsuna threw Asuna off her violently, blushing heavily. "O...O...Ojou-sama! It's.. It's not what it-"

Setsuna was interrupted by Konoka tackling her to the ground, arms wrapped tightly around her waist, causing the raven-haird girl to blush harder "Ojou-sama! Are you hurt? W..W..What happened?"

On the sidelines, Kaede pulled out Asuna's weapon from her dimensional cloak. "I believe this belongs to you de-gozaru, Asuna-dono"

"Woah! My sword!" Asuna beamed, examining her recovered weapon "Where did you find it?"

"It was wedged between a bunch of rocks downstream de-gozaru" Kaede answered "We managed to recover it safely. Yunnagi as well de-gozaru."

"Yuunagi?" Setsuna's sharp ears picked up the name of her sword "Where is..."

She stopped as she finally realized the very weapon was strapped firmly onto Konoka's back, still damp from its dip in the river. "Ojou-sama..."

"I...I thought Sec-chan was in trouble." Konoka teared slightly "Datte, Sec-chan never lets go of Yunnagi!"

Setsuna blushed and quickly pulled Yuunagi off her charge's back. Pulling away from the embrace, She checked Yuunagi over twice and sheathed it once more with a satisfied smile. Meanwhile, Asuna had already pulled on her clothes and was sitting by the fire as Konoka healed her wounds.

"I see you've already met someone de-gozaru." Kaede approached Setsuna

"Matsushita from 2C" Setsuna replied quietly "I couldn't tell who his partner was."

"Ahh Matsushita. A skilled ninja. I would like to spar against him de-gozaru." Kaede nodded her head firmly

"Have you encountered anyone?" Setsuna asked worriedly, her gaze wandering over to Konoka, who was laughing at one of Asuna's stories

"Not yet. We were resting by the river when we caught sight of your weapons." Kaede turned her gaze to Konoka as well "She insisted we find you guys."

Setsuna nodded, her grip on Yuunagi tightening. "I will protect Ojou-sama. I will not let harm befall her."

Kaede clapped Setsuna on the back, giving her a slight nod before heading to the fire herself, seating herself beside Asuna. Setsuna turned around and set up a few traps around their area, traps that would alert them of an enemy presence. Once satisfied with the protection she had set up, Setsuna headed to where the other were and sat a slight distance away, settling at the base of a large oak tree.

Resting her back against the rough bark of the tree, Setsuna closed her eyes, tired from the entire ordeal. Her consciousness dimmed and her grip on Yuunagi slackened, letting it fall back against her shoulder. Setsuna's head lolled forward, too heavy for her to hold up in her sleepy state. She dimly registered a warm hand upon her shoulder as she allowed sleep to take her, knowing Kaede and Asuna would protect Konoka from all harm.

"Sec-chan.." Konoka gently shook the sleeping swordsman, frowning slightly when her target didn't stir from her slumber.

"Let her rest" Asuna leaned back against a log. "She flew quite a distance from the waterfall while carrying me."

"Flew?" Konoka frowned "What do you mean? Her arm let her fly?"

Asuna sat up, shocked, locking eyes with Kaede before turning her gaze back to the mage "You...don't know?"

"Know what?" Konoka cocked her head, puzzled "What's going on with Sec-chan."

"Well you see-" Kaede cut Asuna off in mid sentence

"I think its something Setsuna should share with you personally de-gozaru."

"Hm.." Konoka frowned deeply "Is it the reason why everyone hates Sec-chan?"

Asuna stared at the chocolate haired mage in shock "You noticed?"

"I'm not that dense" Konoka retorted, slightly miffed "Besides, its not like anyone is trying to hide it."

"You should talk to Setsuna about this de-gozaru" Kaede repeated

Konoka nodded, but still feeling uneasy about the entire situation. What happened during the 10 years that they were separated from each other? What was Setsuna hiding from her? She made her way towards her sleeping guard, staring at the peaceful face of her childhood friend. Konoka eventually seated herself next to Setsuna, leaning her head on her guard's shoulder and grasped her arm tightly. The swordsman shifted, but showed no signs of waking up. Konoka smiled. It wasn't everyday you could catch the normally alert girl in deep slumber. It rarely happened, even when they were kids.

Dozing off, Konoka vaguely registered Kaede volunteering to take the first guard shift while Asuna slept first. Her last thoughts before she fell asleep were, 'Poor Kaede. She's going to have a tough time trying to wake Asuna later.'

* * *

**Alright! done with this chapter. Hopefully the next chapter will be more exciting. Frankly, I'm not sure how the next chap will turn out!**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

Setsuna sat as stiff as a board as the morning rays of the run poked through the leaves. Kaede had shook her awake, having given up on trying to wake the orange-haired girl that was sleeping like a dead log opposite them. When she tried to move, she realized something warm was pinning down her left side. Thinking it was a loose tree vine she had gotten herself tangled in, Setsuna tried to brush the offending thing away, but was startled when a soft breath danced across the top of her hand.

She had to keep herself from jerking and screaming in shock as the slumbering view of her charge registered in her mind. Arms wrapped tightly around Setsuna's arm, Konoka showed no signs of letting go. Gently, Setsuna tried to pull free, but froze when a grumble came from the sleeping girl, a frown on her face. Flexing her fingers, Setsuna was glad to feel them, meaning her blood circulation hadn't been cut off by Konoka's death grip.

Admist the silence of the forest, Setsuna could only hear the rapid beating of her heart as she struggled to keep herself from exploding in awkwardness. Trying to recall the previous night, Setsuna frowned deeply as she realized she had nodded off early. How uncharacteristic of her.

A loud explosion caused her to jump, the sound of the explosion and movement causing her to jolt Konoka awake. Kaede sat up quickly, her narrowed eyes alert and cautious.

"Mou... Sec-chan..." Konoka yawned sleepily "What's going on?"

"A fight is closing in on us. We gotta move de-gozaru!" Kaede replied hastily, grabbing her cloak

Setsuna helped Konoka up and gathered their things as Kaede tried to wake Asuna up. The loud mouthed girl was death to the world, her head lolling back and forth as Kaede tried to shake her awake.

"Asuna!" Setsuna shouted

A bunch of bushes began to rustle nosily, catching their attention. Setsuna drew Yuunagi, stepping in front of Konoka protectively. Kaede mimicked her actions, taking out a few kunai and throwing Asuna behind her, causing the girl to wake when her head slammed into a tree trunk. Time seemed to slow as the pair focused on the rustling plants, ready for whoever might step out.

'He...lp..." a cracked voice called out as a blonde figure collapsed out of the bushes.

Kaede dropped her stance and cautiously approached "Iincho!"

Setsuna relaxed, rushing over as well. Kaede flipped Ayaka over. The blonde has several bad burns on her arms and sides and numerous cuts and bruises. Her clothes were ripped and torn exposing bruised skin. The metal plates of her fighting gloves were missing, the gloves burnt off, revealing badly burnt skin.

"Na...Natsumi..." Ayaka murmured, her voice shaking "He..lp.. her..."

"Iincho!" Kaede called before the blonde slipped into unconsciousness.

"Ayaka? What is she-" Asuna grumbled, her eyes catching the beat up blonde in Kaede's arms "Oi... OI.. What happened, you pedophile! How did you get so beat up!"

Konoka tried to move towards them but was stopped by Setsuna's shout. "Get back!"

Konoka saw a cloud of dust rise as something came out from the bushes. To her left, Kaede held Asuna by her collar, the latter still in shock. To her right, Setsuna cradled the unconscious girl in her arms, eyes focused in front of her. Turning her gaze to the front, Konoka fell back, her legs shaking. A large black mass loomed in front of her, its red eyes glowing eerily.

"Shadow demons! What are they doing here? Setsuna growled "I didn't even sense them!"

"This is impossible de-gozaru!" Kaede frowned deeply, not wanting to believe her eyes

"Let me go!" Asuna raged "I'll kill that demon!"

"Kaede! Look!" Setsuna pointed out

In the hands of the shadow demon, there was a faint blue light. Upon closer inspection, they realized the light was emitting from a figure. Natsumi had managed to erect a faint barrier around herself, protecting her body from the acidic goo of the demon. From the faint light, they knew the barrier wouldn't last. They had to save her fast.

"Ojou-sama" Setsuna set Ayaka down far behind her "I'll leave Iincho's healing to you! Send her back once she's healed!"

"H..Hai!" Konoka scrambled over the the class president and began to heal the blistering wounds.

"Kaede. Let's go!" Setsuna prepared her sword "Asuna, stay behind us and watch over Ojou-sama and Iincho!"

Kaede nodded and prepared to attack

"Oi! I want to fight too!" Asuna shouted, grabbing Setsuna by the shoulder

"Any form of contact with that body will cause burns." Setsuna retorted angrily eyes ablaze "I don't need you to be another casualty now! Calm down and protect the both of them!"

With that, Setsuna leaped into the fray, Kaede close behind. Luckily for them, all their weapons were enchanted, making them much more durable than normal weapons and resistant to the acidic body structure of the shadow demons. Yuunagi sliced into the burning flesh, steam erupting as the acid tried to corrode the weapons. The demon roared and swung its free hand in an attempt to hit Setsuna, missing as she flipped backwards skillfully.

Mini explosions erupted all over the demons body as Kaede threw a bunch of explosive kunai towards the hulking beast. Leaping back as the smoke cleared, Kaede an Setsuna locked gazes. Nodding, they took off once more, splitting as the demon hurled blobs of burning goo at them. Dodging, Setsuna aimed for the hand holding Natsumi captive as Kaede blinded the demon. Setsuna missed her mark while dodging an attack, causing the girl to frown in frustration.

Asuna watched from behind, both hands firmly gripping her weapon. She glanced behind her occasionally just to check on Ayaka's progress. Konoka was healing her well, but Ayaka still hadn't awoken, her body unable to cope with the strain of the wounds. Asuna raged. She may not get along well with Ayaka, but they had an unspoken bond between them, one of friendly rivalry. As much as she quarreled with Ayaka, Asuna couldn't stand to see her hurt.

"Look out!" Kaede yelled

Asuna managed to spot a red laser tearing its way through the smoke. Bracing herself, Asuna shielded the three of them with the broadside of her sword, her nullification ability lessening the impact. The shadow demon closed its jaw, smoke rising from its mouth. Setsuna and Kaede jumped into the fray once more, weaving in and out of the attacks, trying to save Natsumi. Kaede threw a series of exploding kunai, distracting the demon while Setsuna leaped high into the air and sliced off the arm holding Natsumi.

As the hand fell onto the floor, the goo around her body retreated back to the demon, leaving Kaede free to pick Natsumi up. The shadow demon bellowed as it lost its hostage, thrashing around wildly.

"Asuna! Send the both of them back! Now!" Setsuna ordered as she held off the demon, wincing as the acidic flesh grazed her shoulder, burning the fabric and the skin beneath it "GAHHHHH"

"Setsuna!" Asuna leaped into the fight, knocking the demon's arm away from Yuunagi

"I told you to send them back!" Setsuna growled "I don't want you to-"

"HAHHHHHH" Asuna swung her mighty blade, slicing the demon clean in two. "That's for Ayaka, you shitty demon."

"Setsuna-dono, Asuna-dono." Kaede called. "We have a problem de-gozaru."

"Iincho's switch has been completely burnt off." Konoka held up a piece of charred ribbon. "There's no way to send her back."

"Natsumi-dono seems to have her switch intact" Kaede continued "Iincho must have lost it in the fight de-gozaru"

"No..." a weak voice whispered "That... thing.. was targetting the switch..."

"Natsumi-dono!" Kaede caught the weak girl before she hit the ground

"What!" Asuna exclaimed "How can this be..."

"There's no time to waste." Setsuna spoke, eyes gazing into the distance "There are more of them around. We need to stop them"

"More? How do you know?" Asuna frowned, her gaze questioning

"They travel in groups... don't they Sec-chan." Konoka replied softly "Just like that time back at the shuttle."

Setsuna didn't reply, merely nodding. A grave silence befell the group once more. Konoka felt something fall into her hands, something small and cold.

"Asuna?!" Konoka replied startled "What are you."

"Use that to send Iincho back." Asuna replied, her eyes not meeting Konoka's "I'm sure the school has noticed that something is wrong"

"Ojou-sama should go back too" Setsuna frowned "Its too dangerous here

"But I..." Konoka hesitated

"You would be helping us by going back. I'm sure there are people who need your healing powers" Asuna smiled, resting a hand on Konoka's shoulder.

Nodding, Konoka sent Ayaka and Natsumi back before taking one last glance at the 3 girls. Her eyes rested on Setsuna, finding no comfort in Setsuna's strong gaze. She threw herself forward, catching Setsuna in a hug, sending the swordsman into a huge meltdown

"Come back safely, Sec-chan." Konoka whispered into her ear

Setsuna stopped freaking out, and rested her hand hesitantly on Konoka's back "I'll be back, Ojou-sama. I still have a job to protect you after all."

Konoka squeezed Setsuna closer one last time, and without warning, kissed Setsuna lightly on the cheek before activating her switch. The raven-haired girl froze, and turned seventy different shades of red, her mind in a jumble. She barely registered the absence of Konoka before Asuna smacked her, snapping her out of the trance. Shaking her head to compose herself, Setsuna split up with the other two, each going a different direction

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait.**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

"Go Go Go!" Asuna yelled as she deflected yet another laser.

The frightened pair behind her took off as fast as their injuries would let them. With a heavy swing, Asuna decapitated the monstrous demon, watching as it sizzled into nothing.

"Tch" Asuna flicked her blade, cleaning it, before taking off after the pair.

Out of the 4 pairs she had found, half of them had their tags burnt off. The more agile ones managed to keep their tags, but they refused to leave their partner behind. Since screaming and shaking them didn't work, Asuna settled on gathering everyone at the center of the forest before figuring out what to do next, as previously planned with Setsuna and Kaede.

She soon caught up with the pair, stopped underneath a large tree. Their injuries had caught up with them, one having suffered injuries to his legs. His partner couldn't support him any longer and they were having a heated argument about separating

"Come on!" Asuna stressed, grabbing the boy's arm "We gotta move"

"Leave me." he cried "I'm dead weight"

"And you'd be dead if we left you here, numbskull!" Asuna heaved him on her back "What happened to not leaving your partner"

The boy was silent, and Asuna carried him all the way to the center, where Kaede was waiting with around 10 pairs of students.

"Asuna-dono. I've gotten everyone i could find out de-gozaru" Kaede gently lifted the injured student off Asuna's back, passing him to the mages for healing

"We can't hold out for long de-gozaru" Kaede whispered "We have to get out of here, the mages can't hold out for long de-gozaru"

"Setsuna?" Asuna leaned back on her hands, breathing heavily

"She left a while ago, looking for more people de-gozaru" Kaede replied "How are we going to get them back to school?"

Asuna frowned. Its been a while since they separated. Konoka should have notified the dean about the situation already. Asuna was getting worried, and there was no use lying about it. They had to formulate a plan, fast. Once Setsuna gets back, the demons will be close behind.

"All right, here's the plan. Those who are injured will use the remaining switches we have to get back. The rest of us will hold out here until the school sends help." Asuna stood up and faced the group.

"Its useless. The school can't reach here." one of the girls panicked "If they could, the would be here by now!"

"No.. They can't send a rescue ship because they think we're all scattered. To find us pair by pair in this forest will be catastrophic for them. If we can get someone to tell them our location, they can send a rescue squad immediately." Asuna responded firmly.

The students looked at each other, not knowing who to send back. In the end, with help from Kaede, it was decided that the most badly injured ones will be send back first together. Their only form of communications was an emergency telepathy spell set up between two mages. The remaining students were to stay behind and survive until rescue came. The forest fell silent once the students were sent back, leaving the remainder worrying about what happens next. A gentle breeze blew, the calm before a storm.

"This is the worst" Asuna grumbled after they sent the students back, keeping a few switches just in case Setsuna brought back badly injured students. "What kind of a field trip is this?"

A rustle among the leaves caught their attention, and everyone fell silent, grabbing their weapons. Before anything appeared, the deafening roar of an engine tore through the silence, a giant shadow cast over them.

"Asuna-san! Kaede-san!" a young child-like voice called out over the noise

Looking up, Asuna flashed a wide grin "Negi!"

The young wizard threw down a rope ladder, the flimsy ladder flying dangerously in the wind. Asuna dodged the edge of the ladder at it came towards her, feeling the coarse rope dig into her hands as she held it firmly. Kaede threw 4 shinais, pinning the ladder to the ground. Asuna dug her feet into the ground, fighting against the wind churned up by the hovering ship.

"Climb!" Asuna roared over the noise created by the ship

One by one, the students scrambled up the ladder as fast as they could. Asuna winced each time someone stepped on her fingers in their attempt to board the ship, but didn't let go of the ladder. Negi held out his staff and cast a quick levitation spell, lifting students who were unable to climb the ladder due to injuries. As Kaede climbed the ladder, Asuna turned her attention in the direction where the bushes first rustled, frowning.

"Asuna-san! Hurry!" Negi called out from the ship, his voice barely audible over the wind "The situation is getting worse."

Just before she could reply, three figures stumbled out of the bushes, a horde of demon right behind them. Asuna watched as two girls rand towards her, Setsuna just behind them. Setsuna dodged a blow from the demons, Yunnagi in her hand. Someone laid upon Setsuna's back, unconscious, hindering Setsuna's ability to fight.

"Asuna! GO!" Setsuna yelled, leaping to the side to avoid another swing "Get them out of here! I'll buy you some time!"

"But.." Asuna hesitated, her fingers gripping the hilt of her sword.

"There's no time! GO!" Setsuna repeated, Yunnagi just barely blocking a blow from the demons, the impact causing the goo to splatter and shower over the swordsman, creating burning blisters.

Asuna hurried the two students up the ladder, before she sliced through the ropes holding the ladder to the ground, gasping as the ladder jerked away from the ground. The rushing wind stung her eyes as the ship began to ascend, the ladder being pulled up.

"SETSUNA!" Asuna screamed into the wind, blinded

The roars of the demons filled the air as Negi and Kaede pulled Asuna aboard the ship. Asuna stuck her head out the door of the ship, frantically looking for a glimpse of the dark-haired girl

"Asuna!" Kaede pulled the pig-tailed girl back into the ship, Negi closing the door after her. "What are you doing?"

"Open that door!" Asuna demanded "Setsuna is out there!"

"We can't!" one of the soldiers board protested "We have to get out of the demons' range of attack!"

"But Setsuna-san..." Negi trailed off, his eyes on the window on the door

He ran over and looked through the glass, a wide smile on his face. Kaede and Asuna went over, sighing in relief as they saw what Negi had seen

"Can take care of herself de-gozaru" Kaede finished Negi's sentence.

Outside the window, a small speck could be seen dashing through the trees, a large horde of demons not far behind. Asuna yanked the door open without warning, causing a rush of wind to burst through the cabin.

"SETSUNA!" Asuna yelled over the wind and noise

For a brief second, their eyes met, Asuna's mis-colored eyes and Setsuna's tired ones. Setsuna broke of the contact and took a glace, behind, frowning as the horde of demons chased her relentlessly. Asuna threw down the rope, the end of it trailing behind slightly. The ship surged forward, pulling the rope ladder along until it trailed beside Setsuna. Setsuna's left hand darted out and caught the ladder, twisting it to ensure she didn't lose her grip as Asuna and the rest pulled her up.

"SETSUNA-SAN!" Negi shouted his voice laced with worry "LOOK OUT!"

Setsuna turned just in time to see an acidic projectile fly towards her. It was too late to react. The bullet hit the rope just above her hand, narrowly missing it. However, the goo dripped down over Setsuna's hand, burning through the rope and searing flesh. The two dropped to the ground, Setsuna losing her balance and tumbling for a few feet, disappearing underneath the foliage. Asuna looked frantically for Setsuna' location, only to pull back when a blob of acid burned a hole in the metal hull of the ship.

The metal ship pulled higher into the sky, narrowly escaping the demons, who had turned their attention to the escape vessel. The rope ladder had been severed, and the pilots couldn't get any lower. It seemed that all hope was lost. Silence fell across the ship, only the sounds of the turning engine could be heard. Some were worried, some couldn't care less, it seemed like a hopeless situation for the two.

"Asuna-dono! Over there!" Kaede pointed out the door.

Poking their heads out, Asuna and Negi grinned widely. Soaring in front of them, on pure white wings, was Setsuna. She cradled the unconscious student in her arms, careful not to damaged her hand any further. She began to pull back, struggling to stabilize as the ship drew near. Kaede reached out and pulled Setsuna into the ship, closing the door behind them.

Negi hurriedly lifted the student from Setsuna's arms and allowed the soliders on board to perform emergency first aid. Asuna laid her eyes on her friend, catching her as Setsuna's knees buckled below her. Asuna pulled her into a side cabin and sat her on the bed.

"Setsuna.. you were saving.. Saito..?" Asuna whispered, having gotten a good long look at the unconscious girl Setsuna has brought in.

"We had to save as many as we could." Setsuna replied "It doesn't matter who."

"You risked your life to save a girl that tortures you every single day!" Asuna raised her voice, angry "What the hell were you thinking?"

Setsuna remained quiet, closing her eyes "I'm not like her. I won't leave her behind just because she deems it enjoyable to bully people.

Asuna calmed down, knowing that she wouldn't have left Saito behind either. "Did you.."

"No." Setsuna replied "She was already out when I found them."

Nodding, Asuna heaved a sigh of relief. "Get some rest. you look tired. I'll treat your wounds later."

Setsuna nodded slowly as Asuna closed the door behind her. Falling back onto the bed, Setsuna stared at the ceiling with half-lidded eyes, her burnt hand hanging off the edge of the bed. She struggled to keep her eyes open, knowing that once she gave in, she wouldn't be cable to wake anytime soon.

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**Sorry for the long wait! I'm really busy with school now. Final weeks of the semester**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

Konoka squinted her eyes, the rushing wind making it hard to see. Once she heard the news that the last rescue ship was arriving, she bolted from the infirmary and made her way to the landing pad. Konoemon was there receiving the students, making sure they got the medical care they needed. He smiled as Konoka approached, pulling her into a gentle hug.

"Don't worry." He whispered in her ear "They'll be fine."

Looking into his eyes, Konoka could see worry and fear behind his normally optimistic gaze. She grasped his hand tightly for assurance, before running up to the landed vessel, the dying sound of the engine echoing in her ears. She stood a good distance away, careful not to disrupt the rescue efforts of the soldiers. Konoka watched as students began to leave the vessel, the badly injured ones carried out by soldiers. But there was no sign of her guardian, or the loud orange-haired girl that was her partner.

Keen eyes scanned the crowd in front of the ship, finally spotting a shaggy brown mess of hair. "Negi-kun!"

Negi could hear Konoka over the sound of the engine, giving himself a huge shock when Konoka appeared behind him "AHH~ You scared me Konoka-san. What's the matter?"

"Where's Setsuna and Asuna?" Konoka asked

"Ahh. They should be out soon. Asuna-san went to get Setsuna-san from the cabins" Negi smiled widely "Don't worry, they're both fine."

As if on cue, the two girls stepped out of the ship. Asuna was supporting Setsuna, who was leaning heavily on her partner. They both looked beat up and tired, dirt and grime covering them from head to toe. Asuna smiled as she noticed Konoka, slightly nudging Setsuna. The raven swordsman, frowned at the nudge, before Asuna's gaze to her charge. A small smile graced her features as Konoka ran towards them

"Sec-chan!" Konoka barreled into Setsuna, the latter just barely managing to keep standing. Asuna exited the ship, giving the two of them some space.

"Ojou-sama" Setsuna whispered, "Are you alright?"

Pulling away Konoka frowned "I should be the one asking you that!"

Laughing softly, Setsuna replied "I told you that you should never worry about me. Your safety is much more important."

Konoka frowned deeper, feeling a tinge of anger "Mou! Sec-chan! What are you saying! Sec-chan is very important to me! How can I not worry?!"

Setsuna smiled briefly before her legs gave way once more, her entire weight collapsing onto Konoka. Konoka shrieked in surprise, catching Setsuna before she fell.

"Sec-chan?" Konoka asked worriedly, brushing the raven bangs from Setsuna's forehead.

"I'm.. ok.. " Setsuna whispered after a brief silence, regaining her footing. "Could you... help me to my room?"

"Of course" Konoka swiftly put Setsuna's arm over her shoulder and began to walk toward the dorms.

"Let me help!" Asuna walked over

"It's alright." Setsuna replied "You need to get that nasty wound checked out."

Asuna looked down and realized she had a long cut down her thigh, the wound almost hidden by her dark pants, the bloodstain barely visible. She frowned, not registering the pain "I almost forgot about this."

"Don't worry I'm fine." Setsuna reassured her once more, clapping her hand on Asuna's shoulder

Together, Setsuna and Konoka made their way to the dorm. Konoka was almost glad that Asuna had sustained a wound, giving her time to spend alone with Setsuna, even if it was only the short walk to the dorms. Upon entering Setsuna's dorm room, Konoka once again took in the simple state of Setsuna's room. Setting Setsuna on the bed, Konoka rested Yunnagi beside Setsuna's desk, where she first saw it. She shut the door, and sat on Setsuna's left, taking her protector's hand. A soft green glow lit up the room, the cuts and bruises vanishing without a trace.

"There! All better!" Konoka grinned happily

Setsuna was silent, and the atmosphere in the room felt oddly heavy.

"K..Kono-chan..." Setsuna's voice was barely a whisper

"Eh?" Konoka gave a small gasp, praying she didn't hear wrongly "Sec-chan.. Did you just.."

"Kono-chan..." Setsuna whispered once more, louder, inching closer to Konoka

"Is something wrong?..." Konoka asked, not understanding Setsuna' actions.

In a blink of an eye, Setsuna's lips pressed gently onto hers, catching her in a light kiss. Konoka squeaked in surprise, her eyes widening in shock, but soon relaxed into the kiss, her eyes closing. When Setsuna pulled away, Konoka saw the emotion in her eyes, something she had never seen from the usually serious girl. Setsuna caught her into another kiss, this time pushing Konoka back onto the bed. Never breaking the kiss, Setsuna shifted her body over her charge's, using her arms to keep her weight off the delicate mage.

"Kono-chan..." Setsuna nipped at Konoka's bare neck, earning her moans from the young mage

"Sec..Sec-chan..." Konoka breathed out "Wa..Wai - EEK!"

Setsuna's hands had found their way under her shirt, the rough hands gently roaming over her smooth skin, sending small ticklish waves rippling over her nerves. Konoka squirmed at the foreign touch, Setsuna never stopping her unyielding assault on her neck. As they traveled higher, Konoka squirmed even harder.

"Sec-chan.. Stop... Sec-chan.." Konoka tried to push Setsuna's arms away, but shrieked as Setsuna's teeth gently moved across her neck

As if compliant to her charge's wishes, Setsuna's hands withdrew from her body. For a moment, Setsuna stopped, before her hands began to travel lower, her hands tracing down Konoka's thigh and back up again, caressing it. The light feathery touch sending alarm bells ringing in Konoka's mind.

"Sec-chan!" Konoka cried out, knowing what was going to happen "Stop! I..I can't!"

"Don't worry." Setsuna whispered in her ear once more "This won't hurt, I promise, Kono-chan"

Konoka shivered as her eyes met with Setsuna's one once more. Konoka felt as if she was sinking into Setsuna's dark eyes, like a bottomless pit filled with raw emotions. Something in those eyes told Konoka that there was something wrong with Setsuna. It was as if Setsuna was no longer there, no longer the girl she knew. It was scaring her, the way Setsuna looked at her, as though she was only a toy to be used. Konoka knew she had to snap Setsuna out of it before it got any worse.

"Sec-chan. Stop" Konoka said, more firmly this time. "You can't do this."

"You know you want to..." Setsuna nipped her earlobe seductively, her hands never stopping, almost reaching Konoka's lower regions "I want to..."

Konoka slapped Setsuna hard, the loud impact resounding through the empty room. Setsuna slowly turned her face back towards Konoka, her eyes burning. Roughly, she pinned Konoka's hands above her head and gave an inhuman snarl, scaring Konoka even further. Setsuna grabbed the front of Konoka's blouse, her eyes twinkling with raw lust. As if taunting her, Setsuna sunk her teeth into Konoka's neck hard, earning a loud cry from the mage.

"STOP!" Konoka released a strong burst of energy, catching the swordsman off guard.

Setsuna crashed into the ceiling, and stayed stuck to the ceiling for a few seconds. Konoka scrambled out of the way as Setsuna came crashing back down into the bed, the mattress squeaking as Setsuna hit it. Konoka sat on the floor, hands clutched protectively in front of her, shaken by the events. Wide-eyed, Konoka stared as a small groan emitted from the petite body on the bed, surrounded by pieces of the plaster ceiling. Konoka watched as the small form of Setsuna began to move, pushing herself up from the bed.

"O...Ojou-sama?" Setsuna voice penetrated the uncomfortable silence

That was the trigger. Konoka bolted out of the room as fast as she could, never looking back, ignoring Setsuna's voice as she called her, ignoring the crash as Setsuna fell into the floor as she tried to go after her. Locking the door, Konoka took a moment to think. Sliding down the door, Konoka curled up into a ball and started to shake. A few minutes later, someone was banging on her door.

"Ojou-sama? Ojou-sama?" Setsuna's pained voice called out "Are you there?"

"Go away!" Konoka shouted, hands over her eyes "Stay away from me!"

"What happened? Ojou-sama? Did..Did I do something wrong?" Setsuna was clearly panicking outside the door, but Konoka refused to budge.

"Go away! I don't wanna see you anymore! Leave me alone!" Konoka screamed, shutting her eyes tightly "How could you!"

She heard a commotion outside her door, more voices began to appear, but she wasn't paying attention. She vaguely remembered someone calling for her, it sounded like Asuna, but Konoka didn't move. Burying her face into her knees, Konoka sat there quietly, as if the darkness of the room would swallow her and make it all go away.

* * *

**Alright! Finally finished this chapter. I apologize for any grammar mistakes. I usually discover them only after i upload them. Super troll. Well as long as you guys are ale to understand, I guess its ok?**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

Sitting quietly beneath a tree, Setsuna stared blankly into the forest. She was in a small clearing away from the school building, where the hustle and bustle of the students never reached. She stared at her hands, flesh and metal both stained a bright purple, a result of the increased bullying after the incident. No one would tell her anything, the muted whispers and murmurs hushed whenever she drew near.

It felt like a living hell for Setsuna, even more than usual. Konoka refused to see her, let alone talk to her, always walking the opposite way if they ever crossed paths. The entire school body looked at her with obvious utter disgust and disdain, even her own classmates.

She tried talking to Konoemon about it, but he too didn't know what was going on with Konoka, sending Setsuna an apologetic look, promising to speak to her if he ever found out. Setsuna was confused and afraid. The gap in her memory felt almost non-existent, as though she had merely fallen asleep and awoken again. Yet, something had happened to Konoka, and she couldn't remember a thing. It irked her to think about the fact that she could be the cause of Konoka's distress.

"I heard what happened from Konoka." Asuna spoke in a low voice, her sword by her side

The raven-haired girl looked up and saw the other girl standing by the edge of the clearing, blade drawn. Setsuna could see the seriousness in Asuna's body language, frowning as she stood up slowly.

"Eh? Ojou-sama did?" Setsuna let her guard down for a moment "So what did I-"

"I can't believe you did that!" Asuna swung her sword at Setsuna, narrowly missing her "How could you do that and claim not to remember it! What is wrong with you?"

"Wait! Asuna!" Setsuna dodged the incoming blows "Tell me what happened!"

Asuna sent a roundhouse kick, catching Setsuna in the face. Setsuna flew for a moment, landing hard on the ground. She quickly got up, dodging a punch Asuna threw at her and responded with a hard kick to the gut, pushing the other girl back. Setsuna drew Yuunagi just in time, blocking a downward slam from Asuna. Pushing back, Asuna gained some distance, only to kick off once more, her blade aimed to kill. Setsuna rolled out of the way, sparks flying as Asuna's blade grazed her right shoulder.

"She trusted you!" Asuna roared once more, slicing a tree in half as Setsuna dodged her blade

"Asuna. I don't remember what happened." Setsuna shouted angrily "I don't understand what is going on!"

"Fine." Asuna stopped a few feet away from her "You want to know what happened? You violated her!Against her will!"

Yuunagi clashed to the floor, the sound echoing through the clearing. Asuna's blade pointed at the base of Setsuna's neck. "W...What?"

"You violated her" Asuna repeated herself, words laced with anger, pushing the blade forward, drawing blood. "You forced her, you touched her, you took her!"

"What!? T..There must be some mistake. I would never..." Setsuna shook her head, her hands trembling "You're lying."

"And why would Konoka lie about this?" Asuna retorted angrily, throwing her own blade aside "She trusted you and you betrayed her!"

Asuna swung her fist at Setsuna, the latter didn't even dodge. Asuna's fist caught Setsuna's cheek and sent the girl flying. A cloud of dirt rose as she hit the ground hard, unmoving. Setsuna tried to pull the memory from the blank in her head, there was nothing. Her thoughts were interrupted as Asuna grabbed her by the collar, lifting her off the ground. Setsuna's head jerked backwards from the force, as though she was a lifeless doll.

"I thought i knew you Setsuna." Asuna stared into her eyes "I thought you liked her. I thought she was your everything. I thought you would protect her from all harm. I may be your friend, but I will not look past this. What you did was terrible, beyond comprehension. What were you thinking!?"

"I would never hurt Ojou-sama, or do anything against her will!" Setsuna stared back angrily

A sharp smack rang through the woods as Asuna slapped Setsuna across the cheek, leaving 4 angry red finger marks on her face "I don't know what's going on with you, but you better stay as far away as you can from Konoka."

Setsuna shut her eyes tight, her fists clenched, unable to deal with the knowledge of the situation.

"I'm not telling you to stay away." Asuna continued "I am ordering you. If I find you anywhere near Konoka, I will not hold back, you hear me? Stay away from her."

Setsuna stared at the retreating figure of Asuna, her brows furrowed. The throbbing in her temples didn't help her thoughts flow as she tried to force herself to remember.

"I.. I didn't do it... "Setsuna whispered to no one in particular. "Did I...?"

"No... I need to talk with her." Setsuna pushed herself off the ground. "I need to know what happened."

"You sure that's such a good idea?" A shrill voice came from the trees.

Setsuna whirled around in surprise, sword by her side, ready for an attack "Who's there?!"

"Put that toy down. You can't scratch me even if you tried." Two figures stepped out from the trees, the familiar silhouettes coming into view.

"E..Evangeline-san? Chachamaru-san" Setsuna relaxed a little at the sight of her classmates "What are you doing here?"

Evangeline was a short girl with a huge personality. Don't be fooled by her young appearance, Evangeline was 600 years old and a vampire as well. Despite her innocent appearance, Evangeline was known for her cruel and sadist behaviour, leading everyone to avoid her as well. Evangeline didn't care of course, 600 years and you'll learn to ignore those whose lifeapan is merely a fraction of yours and she was accompanied by Chachamaru, her loyal robot partner.

Chachamaru was made by one of their classmates as a partner for the sadistic vampire. Chachamaru was a quiet robot, disliking conflict but will not hesitate to fight alongside Evangeline. They were inseperable, no matter what situations they found themselves in, something Setsuna envied.

The short vampire scoffed, her sharp eyes piercing through Setsuna's gaze "Stopping you from doing the stupidest thing in your life."

Setsuna frowned, biting her bottom lip. "I..I don't- "

"What Master is trying to say is "Chachamaru cut in

"I can speak for myself Chachamaru" Evangeline spoke angrily, hushing the obedient robot in an instant. "If you think talking to the princess is going to solve everything, you're out of your mind."

"I need to know what happened" Setsuna sheathed her sword and began to walk away "I need to hear it from her."

"I can help you." Evangline's voice stopped Setsuna dead in her tracks "I can help you figure out what's wrong with you."

Setsuna turned slowly, facing Evangeline once more. "You... know what's going on?"

"Its not uncommon for halfbreeds to have side effects" Evangeline replied monotonously, rolling her eyes "Didn't anyone teach you anything, hanyou?"

Setsuna shook her head slowly confused. Her head was overloading with so much new information. What was going on? Everyone seems to know something that she doesn't know. She looked to Evangeline for some sort of comfort, hoping Evangeline would be able to help.

"You.. can help me?" Setsuna asked hesitantly

The short vampire nodded wordlessly, finding interest in everything but the half-demon in front of her. Her eyebrow twitched as she watched the young girl hesitate. Evangeline got more and more irritated as time past, being a short-fused vampire.

"You know where to find me once you decide" Evangeline spoke loudly before turning away "Let me warn you first, its not going to be easy and it'll probably take up a lot of time. You better decide. I want an answer tonight."

Once again, Setsuna was left alone in the clearing, her mind brimming with unanswered questions. Setsuna glanced at her hands, her gaze seemingly penetrating the white material of her gloves, boring into the palms of her purple-stained hands. She stood there in that position for a long time, gathering her scattered thoughts. Not even the sound a buzzing fly in her ears could bring Setsuna out of her deep trance.

Clenching both hands into fists, Setsuna made up her mind. Grabbing Yunnagi, she head back to the school, with only one goal in mind. She silently moved along the school buildings, spotting her target sitting by the koi ponds. Swallowing, Setsuna took a hesitant step forward, unnoticed by her target. Taking a deep breath, Setsuna walked closer, stopping a short distance away.

"Ojou-sama.." Setsuna called out in a small voice, just loud enough for her charge to hear

Setsuna saw the body language change. Shoulders became stiff, and her entire body became rigid. Konoka stood up stiffly, slowly turning to face Setsuna. Her eyes wandered from Setsuna's face, stopping at her purple stained hands, lingering for a moment in surprise before looking away. Behind those warm chocolate eyes, Setsuna could see hesitation, confusion and most of all, fear. Setsuna stopped at the sight, not sure if she should continue.

"Ojou-sama.. I.."

"What are you doing here?"

The words hit Setsuna like a punch to the face. Konoka never used such a cold tone towards her before. For the first time in many years, Setsuna felt truly alone in the world. She pushed back her feelings and looked Konoka in the eyes.

"I..I heard from Asuna.." Setsuna managed to get out "Did..I... I would never intentionally hurt Ojou-sama, but did i really do all those things to you?"

Konoka looked away, breaking their eye contact, eyes shut tight. Setsuna clenched her teeth, already knowing the answer. Her grip on Yunnagi tightened in an attempt to control her emotions. They stood there in silence, neither one moving. Konoka grabbed a fistful of her robes, and it didn't go un-noticed

"I.. have one last thing to ask." Setsuna broke the silence, her voice wavering slightly "Ojou-sama.. do.."

Setsuna swallowed "Do..Do you still trust me?"

Konoka looked at her, eyes wide in surprise, yet she didn't say anything. Her eyes darted from side to side, never resting on Setsuna. It felt like an eternity, and it would have been, had Setsuna not understood the meaning behind the empty silence. She knew Konoka was struggling with an answer, but it was more than enough. She knew she couldn't stay any longer. From the corner of her eyes, Setsuna could see a speck of orange coming towards them, she knew without a doubt that it was Asuna.

Taking one last glance at her charge, she saluted and bowed "I will take my leave. It has...been an honor."

With that, Setsuna left quickly, moments before Asuna arrived by Konoka's side. She could feel their gazes on her as she left, disappearing around the corner of the school building. Tears blurred her vision as she walked down the hallway. Brushing her tears aside, she hurriedly made her way to the dorms, and enter her room. She grabbed a small duffle bag from her closet, throwing in clothes and her tool kit. Packing only the absolute essentials,Setsuna zipped up her bag and left, locking the door behind her.

She fished the key out of her pocket, and slid it underneath the door, making sure it was out of reach. Turning on her heel, Setsuna left the building, making her way to a another building on the far end of the school. That building was old and barely used, only known to the students as the hangout for Evangeline the vampire.

A chill washed over her as she stepped into the gloomy building, the dimming light of the setting sun lighting the way. The walk down the corridor seemed long, and Setsuna took the chance to reaffirm her decisions. Stopping, Setsuna slid open the door, coming face to face with the hideout of the elusive vampire.

"I've been waiting for you." Evangeline smiled, showing her fangs. "I see you've made your decision."

Setsuna followed Evangeline's eyes to her bag "Yeah i have."

"Come on." Evangeline made her way to a door behind her, opening it.

The door was a portal, as seen by the glowing white ring around it, lighting up the dim room. Setsuna turned toward the window, her eyes settling on the main school buildings. Memories of her time here began to flash in her head, the good and the bad, all of them playing a part in who she had become. Setsuna gave a sad smile, her eyes brimming with emotion, something rare from the usually stoic girl.

"Aw come on! Don't tell me you need time to say goodbye" Evangeline rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest, annoyed

"No." Setsuna replied turning back "There's no need to."

"There is no need to worry about the admin stuff. Setsuna-san" Chachamaru spoke "Master has already taken care of that."

Setsuna looked over at Evangeline, who rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yeah yeah whatever. Hurry up."

Taking deep breath, Setsuna walked into the portal, feeling the magical sensation wash over her as she entered the pocket dimension. Evangeline and Chachamaru followed close behind, and once all three were through, the portal closed, leaving nothing but an empty room behind the doorway.

It was a quaint little cabin, Setsuna noted, the trees of the lush forest surrounding them. Different from the rumors of a large posh resort Evangeline was rumored to own. Quietly she followed Evangeline into the cabin, and to her surprise, the interior was much larger than the outside. It was nothing extravagant, the living area on the first floor and the bedrooms on the second.

The vampire led her to the room closest to the top of the staircase "You can leave your things here."

Setsuna entered the small room. Its was simple. The small single bed by the wall and a desk and closet a short distance away. A small door led to the bathroom, and that was it. Simple, just the way Setsuna liked it.

"We start tomorrow. Early." Evangeline walked out the door. "Be prepared"

Setsuna placed her bag and Yunnagi on the bed, and started to unpack what little she brought. A piece of paper fell out from her bag as she pulled out her armor set, flying and settling beneath the bed. Setsuna set her armor aside and went to retrieve it. Pulling it out, she frowned hard at it. It was the photo she had pinned up on her board. The one of her and Konoka as kids. Setsuna didn't remember putting it in. She didn't have any intention of bringing a reminder of Konoka with her, yet a part of her was glad the photo was with her, no matter how it got into her bag.

The swordsman slipped the photo beneath her pillow, nodding in satisfaction. She hung up the armor set she had pulled from her bag, then proceeded to peel off the one she was wearing. Pulling off her shoulder guards, leather braces and gloves, she hung them neatly in the closet together with the other set. She sighed at the sight of her bag, before throwing it onto the floor, not bothering to unpack the rest. Setsuna threw herself onto the bed, groaning as the bed was harder than she expected.

It was going to be a long experience for Setsuna, and she knew it.

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**End of this chapter! I'll be really busy the next few weeks, so I thought I would give you guys a longer chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

* * *

"Commander, the dean is calling for a meeting."

A curt nod acknowledged the information, the messenger quickly dashing off. He stopped a few feet away , turning back.

"Ano.. May I ask where - "

"Don't worry. I'll tell her about the meeting."

With a grateful smile the messenger ran off once more, off to pass on the message. Asuna walked briskly down the hallway, her broadsword secured to her back. Looking out the windows as she walked by, Asuna stopped, her eyes staring across the gray landscape. She traced the distant mountains with her finger, letting out a sigh as the low rumble of thunder reached her ears. Her eyes wandered to the squad repairing the barricade. Another squad stood by with their weapons drawn, on the look out for any enemies.

Turning sharply on her heels, Asuna made her way to the dorms, stopping in front of Konoka's door. She raised her fist to knock, hesitating. Shaking her head, Asuna sighed and continued down the hallway. She stopping in front of a similar looking door. Setsuna's old room. Not bothering to knock, Asuna turned the knob and opened the door. There, sitting in the dimly lit room was a familiar silhouette sitting in the middle of the living room.

"Mou... I thought I'd find you here" Asuna ran her fingers through her bright orange hair

The young mage turned in surprise, her mouth twitching into a small smile. Standing up, Konoka brushed the imaginary dirt from her spotless robes before facing Asuna once more.

"Is there another meeting?" she asked curtly

Asuna nodded, watching as the other girl walked towards her silently "Hey Konoka..."

"Its not your fault" Konoka replied quietly, reading her mind "I was partly to blame"

There was an awkward silence as Konoka fished out a small key from around her neck, locking the door once they were out.

"Hard to believe its been 2 years already." Asuna started, trying to lighten the gloomy atmosphere "You know, since we graduated."

Konoka nodded. Their batch graduated a year after Setsuna's sudden disappearance, making them full fledged mages and soldiers. However, due to the imminent danger posed by the shadow demons, Mahora Academy had been turned into a fortress, to hold the lines against the enemies. The freshly graduated students and some of the alumni were placed into leadership positions, taking charge of small squads to fend off the demons. It was the last line of defense for the Magical World. Once Mahora falls, there was nothing stopping the demons from overturning the Magic Council.

Konoka rose through the ranks quickly, becoming the head of the healing division. It was not by her connection to the dean, but rather her skill and talent in healing. Being able to perform large scale healing as well as high level healing spells, Konoka was an invaluable asset to Mahora. She had changed much over the last three years. While her hair remained the same, Konoka has grown a full head taller than she was before. Her curves became more prominent and her face more mature than before. However, the one thing that did not change was Konoka's personality, making here extremely popular in the school.

Asuna on the other hand had trouble making it to her current position. Being extremely hot-headed, Asuna clashed with many of the teachers as well as superior officers, making it hard for her to advance. However, her skill with a blade was unrivaled, and it didn't go unnoticed. Asuna was soon placed into the 3rd Squad, and soon made it to the commanding officer of said squad, and recently taking charge of the 7th and 19th squad as well. Much like Konoka, Asuna had grown in many ways. She had replaced the trademark bells on her hair to simple red hair ties for stealth purposes. she had grown taller too, although not as much as Konoka, making their height differ by half a head. Her hot-temper didn't change, although it had toned down quite a bit as she matured.

As the two walked down silently down the corridor, Asuna began to feel uneasy. Long period of silence unnerved her. She opened her mouth to speak, but found nothing to say.

"Ne... Asuna" Konoka spoke

"Hai!" Asuna almost jumped in surprise, having been deep thought about what to say.

"What do you think the meeting is about?" Konoka asked

Asuna sighed "Its probably about that scouting party we took out last night."

Konoka nodded "Oh, how's your shouder? Does it still hurt?"

"Oh. No problem!" Asuna grinned widely "It doesn't hurt- OUCHH"

Asuna winced as her injury acted up "Ok.. Its still kinda sore"

Konoka giggled at her friend's comical reaction. Asuna had dislocated her left shoulder during a battle a few days ago. Despite her injury, Asuna managed to survive with no other major injuries. The dislocation would have taken some time to heal properly, without magic to speed it up. Luckily, Konoka's high level spells were the only spells that could somehow bypass Asuna's natural magic nullification. Even so, high leveled spells that could easily heal up to 30 people at once had a minimal effect on the orange-haired girl, reduced to the level of a simple healing spell.

Before long they had reached the dean's office. Asuna knocked sharply on the door, pushing it open without waiting for a reply. About 15 people stood in the room. Konoemon, Eishun, Negi and the teachers, and the remaining 8 were commanders, each in charge of an average of 3 squads.

"Ah... Asuna-kun, Konoka" the dean greeted them with a smile "Just in time."

"What's the situation?" Asuna switched into commander mode, her face serious. Konoka nodded, waiting for a response.

"The scouting party last night.." the dean started "..belonged to a horde with a strength of about 50 demons. We've tracked them and it seems they are advancing rather quickly. They'll be here by nightfall at best."

"Where are they coming from?" A male, senior to them by a couple of years, asked. He was the commander of the front lines, taking charge of the 5th, 18th and 27th squads.

"About 20 from the front, about 15 on each side." Konoemon pointed the locations on the map on his table. "This will be a hard battle. Tsubachi-kun, will you squads be able to handle the front lines?"

"It will be difficult sir." The same male commander replied "My squads have never faced off against such a number."

Each squad consisted of around 10 people, mages and soldiers. Few of the mages were support and healers, making the actual number of combatants lower than the actual head count. To take down even one demon was tough on one squad and the demons were coming in numbers. They seemed to have evolved over the years, beginning to take strategy such as splitting up to flank the squads. It was tough on Mahora, having to split their numbers to cover their sides as well.

"Asuna-kun. I want your squads to support Tsubachi-kun on the front lines." Konoemon spoke firmly, his grey eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"But the right flank.."Asuna protested

"I will cover that area"

Asuna lifted her head to meet the owner of the voice. She frowned "You sure about this? Saito."

Saito smirked. "Of course. My squads should be cover the right flank in place of your squads. They are as well trained as any of the ones under your command."

Asuna twitched slightly, tempted to make a snarky comeback. However, she knew Saito was stating the truth. Despite being a snobbish bully during their schooling days, Saito had become a fine commander as well, taking charge of the 2nd, 6th and 11th squads, which largely consisted of mages. Because of their status, Saito and Asuna had many chances to cross paths, causing much trouble in the beginning. Eventually, once the fighting became more serious, both girls ceased their senseless bickering and toned down their fights, although they still butt heads from time to time. In reply, Asuna merely nodded.

"Then I'll be counting on you."

And so it was decided. Asuna would hold the front lines together with Tsubachi. Saito will take the right flank with another commander and the left will be covered by another two commanders. The remaining squads remained behind as the second line of defense. The teachers of the school stood with the front lines as well, with a couple supporting the right and left flanks. It was tough on them as well, taking care of the morale of the students and ensuring that their supply routes stay safe.

The commanders disbanded quickly after the meeting, preparing their squad for the upcoming battle. The teachers soon followed suit.

"Negi-kun. Hold on for a minute" Konoemon spoke before Negi's foot left the door.

"Is there something wrong, Dean?" Negi asked quietly, his voice as high-pitched as ever.

"It is saddening to see our youths involved in such a war." Konoemon replied, returning back to his seat.

Negi nodded. He was still considered a youth despite his status as a teacher. Although he has learnt much and matured rapidly over the last few years, he a still a child. He had experience a growth spurt during the three years and he was soon catching up to Asuna in height. His hair had grown too, keeping it in his trademark ponytail. His staff of choice was the old wooden staff he had brought to the school years ago, a gift from his father.

"Negi-kun" Konoemon's voice snapped Negi out of his thoughts

He turned to face the old dean, who had settled himself into his large chair behind his desk "Hai."

"I've got a different task for you."

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**Phew! End of chapter, I'm really sorry for the long wait.**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Copyrighting not intended

Hmm I've realized that I've made quite a few errors in my previous chapter, more than usual. Sorry about that.

* * *

Asuna cleaved her sword through two demons, moving on even before the the sounds of the fresh sizzling corpses reached her ears. Leaping into the air, Asuna struck the ground hard, muttering a spell as she did so. An orange shock-wave leveled a two metre radius around her, vaporizing any demons within that circle. there was barely an impact as the demons quickly filled the void.

"Damn it!" Asuna soon found herself back to back with Tsubachi, the commander on the front lines with her

"This is bad. We can't hold out much longer" Tsubachi gritted his teeth "There's too many. There's no way we can- ARGH!"

The battlefield was nothing but chaos. The demons swarmed in when dawn broke the next morning, catching the

Tsubachi yelled out in surprise as a blob of goo caught him on his right foot, burning right through his pants and boots, causing massive burns. Asuna turned at the sound of his cry, forgetting the presence of demons and caught a blow to the chin. The goo burned her skin, cutting off her strangled cry of pain. She collapsed onto the ground beside Tsubachi, writhing as the wound blistered painfully

"Asuna-san!" Tsubachi limped over to her, his injured foot dragging behind him.

He pulled Asuna's hand away, slightly relieved that her burns were superficial, yet both of them had been incapacitated. His keen eyes scanned their surroundings, no less than 6 demons surrounding them. the rest of their squad couldn't get to them in time, only the sound of their voices screaming in worry. With both commanders down, the other students were losing morale and being pushed back by the demons.

"D...Da.." Asuna tried to curse, but the damage to her throat prevented it.

Tsubachi threw himself over Asuna's body, ignoring the struggles from the girl beneath him. He closed his eyes and waited for the final blow, only to be yanked backwards by his collar. He hit the ground hard, shocked. The demons surrounding them were engaged with several students and a familiar face was towering over him.

"Oi. What the hell do you think you're doing to her eh?"

Tsubachi opened his eyes "A...Ayaka-san!"

The tall blond was scowling at him, her eyes shooting daggers as she glared at him fiercely. She cracked her knuckles, the metal plate clanging together. Tsubachi gulped as he was supported into a standing position by some students.

"I...I was just.. protecting her." He reasoned, before he was hurriedly rushed back to the school.

Ayaka knelt down, and began to examined Asuna's wound, smacking the loud-mouth girl every time she protested.

"W...Why.." Asuna croaked, the attempt to speak obviously causing pain

"Someone has to keep the monkey in check" Ayaka huffed, her eyes traced gently around the wound, lightly smacking Asuna over the head when she tried to protest. "Baka. The numbers were greater than expected. I'm here to support, dumbass."

"Get her back to Mahora"

A male medic picked Asuna bridal style, and quickly dashed off to the school. Ayaka stared as long as she could, until the bright orange hair disappeared from her view. She turned her attention back to her squad. Ayaka commanded the support squads, acting only as reserves until they were called on to assist the main squads. The blond heiress didn't particularly like fighting despite her proficiency in combat, choosing to stay behind and provide support and coach the trainees. However, with Asuna and Tsubachi off the field, there were 8 squads that were running around blind, including her own.

"Ayaka-sama"

"Yosh." Ayaka commanded in a loud voice, natural leadership flowing in her vein. "Let's show these demons what we can do!"

A loud chorus echoed, even from those still in combat. Just like that, Ayaka brought the fading morale of the soldiers to a new height, giving them the strength and motivation to carry on.

High up in the sky, sitting atop his staff, Negi sighed in relief as he recognized the blonde president from his ex class take charge. He smiled to no one in particular as the students got themselves organized. It pained him to know that he couldn't be of any help to his students even tho he was so close. Negi turned his keen eyes back to the sky around him, casting spells at the flying monstrosities as they approached his position.

_"I've got a different task for you"_

Konoemon's voice rang in his head. The dean had assigned Negi to defend their skyway supply route. Over the past 3 years, the demons have evolved. Demons resembling giant bats had appeared, able to spit out acidic goo from their mouths. The claws that had developed on their hands were razor sharp, a considerable threat at close range. Luckily, they weren't very resilient to attacks, and a simple hit would be enough to take them down. However, they were smarter than their land counterparts, easily dodging and swooping in the sky, avoiding attacks.

Negi was alone in the sky, but he wasn't fighting alone. A squad of elite snipers were positioned in the school, led by non other than the top sniper, Tatsumiya Mana. Together, Negi and the snipers had managed to keep the skyway route clear, clear for whoever was going to appear.

"_I need to you defend the skyway supply route. Someone of great importance will be arriving"_

_"Through the skyway supple route? Who could it be?"_

_"Someone capable of defending Mahora."_

Konoemon never did give a proper answer to the young sensei.

"I wonder who it could be..." Negi wondered

"Ne..Negi-sensei!" A distraught voice rang in his head "A demon got past the defenses!"

"Nani?!" He replied telepathically

"It..Its really strong. I don't think we can defeat it alone!"

"I got it. I'm on my way." Negi replied "Tatsumiya-san."

"We got the route covered" Mana replied "But I don't-"

Negi ignored the rest of her words as he rushed back to school. As he approached, he saw two squads encircling a single figure near the school entrance, their weapons drawn. He landed nearby, making his way over immediately

"Negi-sensei!" a girl rushed up to him, the commander of the two squads.

"What's the situation?" Negi frowned

"It...It came in from the sky." the commander replied "It killed one of our students on the field"

Negi focused his attention on the intruder. A handsome figure stared back, dark irises shining. His dark hair was pulled up into a high ponytail that reached his mid back. He wore a simple silver metal chest guard adorned with studs, as well as a left shoulder pad emblazoned with a symbol of a bird. Underneath, he had a dark long sleeved shirt accompanied with white leather gloves. Simple black pants, combat boots and a sword strapped to his back completed the look. Blood stained his mouth and clothes, like he had just popped out from a horror film.

In his arms, bridal style, he carried a young female. Negi recognized her as a freshman from Mahora. Crimson liquid covered her abdomen, dripping onto the concrete floor and staining the clothes of the demon. Negi couldn't tell if she was alive or not, unable to see the slow rise and fall of her chest. He had to assumed the worst possible scenario. It didn't matter how he had gotten past the defenses, that demon had to be taken out now.

However, before Negi could make a move, the lone demon began to lower his body, getting onto his knees slowly. Everyone around him flinched at the sudden movement after minutes of inactivity. Negi watched, his staff at the ready, as the demon knelt down and gently placed the girl in his arms onto the ground. Standing up, he moved back a few paces and stopped a good distance away from the body.

"Medics!" The commander ordered

A medic, accompanied by 2 soldiers moved up at her command. The medic quickly checked vital signs and began emergency first aid while the soldiers stood between them and demons, their weapons brandished. It seemed like an eternity before the medic gave the okay signal. They quickly moved the girl to the infirmary, where a full evaluation would be done. With the wounded out of the way, the commander decided to act.

"Who are you? And how did you get in here?"

White teeth gleamed brightly as the demon replied with a smile "I flew in."

"Don't play games with me, demon!" The commander snarled, moving closer

The smile on his face dropped. "I suppose I am a demon. Nothing has changed"

The commander took another step forward, ready to engage him, her two squads on alert.

"Hai Hai. What is going on here?" Konoemon voice rang through the courtyard.

"Dean!" The commander turned at the sound of his voice "We were just taking out an intruder."

"Intruder?" Konoemon chuckled as he made his way through the line of soldiers encircling the demon "Ohohohoho. Quite a welcoming party isn't it."

The demon dropped to his knees in a bow, lowering his head "Its been a long time. Konoemon-sama. I apologize for my tardiness."

"No worries No worries." Konoemon approached the demon casually, much to the surprise of the students and Negi

"Dean!" worried voices rang out

"Stand up." Konoemon smiled gently, ignoring the others

"It would be terribly rude of me to-" he replied, before behind cut off by Konoemon.

"I told you to drop the formalities." Konoemon pulled the demon to his feet "We are family."

"Family?" the students began to whisper and murmur. Even Negi was utterly confused at Konoemon's actions.

"Are you alone?" Konoemon asked, looking around "Where is that troublesome little vampire?"

"Who are you calling troublesome, Jiji!" a sharp voice echoed

"Jiji?" Negi turned in surprise "Ah! Evangeline-san! Chachamaru-san!"

The small vampire stared at him "Ohya, ohya. You've grown taller, boy."

"Why are you here?" Negi asked, delighted at seeing the vampire once more

"I invited them of course" Konoemon replied with a smile.

"Dean.. What is going on?" the commander asked with a puzzled look

Konoemon laughed "Let me introduce you. This is Evangeline McDowell and her assistant Chachamaru."

"Evangeline McDowell? As in the vampire that lives in Mahora?!" one of the student exclaimed

"The very same!" Evangeline cackled, sending shivers down their spines "You would do well to stay out of my way."

Negi smiled. Even after 3 years, Evangeline had not changed one bit.

"Konoemon-san, that person is.." Negi gestured to the demon standing by the dean's side

"I'm surprise you don't recognize her." Konoemon laughed "This handsome fellow here is one of my beloved guards, Sakurazaki Setsuna-kun. One of your students, Negi-kun."

"Se...Setsuna-san!" Negi exclaimed loudly, his big eyes widening in shock

Bowing low, Setsuna replied formally "Its been a long time Negi-sensei"

Before she knew it, Negi had rushed up to her, engulfing her in a huge hug, sending the poor girl into a fluster. Negi laughed as he pulled away. This was the Setsuna he knew, she was still as easily embarrassed as ever.

"Chotto Matte!" The commander interrupted "This...This thing.. attacked one of our students. It's face covered in her blood!"

Setsuna narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. Konoemon shook his head and tapped Setsuna lightly on the nose, startling her "Better?"

The hanyou touched her nose gingerly, confirming that her broken nose had been healed. She nodded slowly, wiping the blood off her face. "Arigatou, Konoemon-sama"

"Well, with that cleared up, come on" Konoemon began to lead them to his office "We have lots to talk about."

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**Yay Setsuna's back! There's so many ways to continue that I got caught up in trying to choose the best. Again, I apologize for any errors in spelling or accidental typos.**


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